Shopping cart
Your cart is empty
£0.00
In Today’s PA survey last year, we asked a wide range of questions: how you feel the industry is perceived by those outside it, what makes a good/bad boss, and what one thing would make your role as a PA easier. However, the most serious question we asked – with a straight ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response – was “Have you ever been bullied at work?”
Out of approximately 120 replies, a staggering 41% of PAs answered yes – massively higher than the average of 29% for other employees published in a 2015 YouGov poll1.
So, does this mean that PAs are more vulnerable than other employees to workplace bullying? And why?
One reason could be the perception of the PA role. As Today’s PA survey discovered, the profession continues to suffer from an image problem (the “tea and typing” stereotype). Many outside the industry still see the role as junior to almost everyone else in the office – and this alone could make potential bullies think of PAs as an easy target. If this perceived ‘junior’ status is challenged for any reason (e.g., being assertive, managing interruptions, taking the initiative), it could act as a trigger for the bullying to start. Add in the fact that most Personal Assistants are female (again, often thought of as a soft target) and you can start to see why the percentage is so high.
According to the 2015 YouGov survey (carried out for the TUC) almost one third of the total workforce has been on the receiving end of bullying – and they say it’s on the increase. In 2015, the ACAS Bullying and Harassment Helpline received over 20,000 calls2. More alarmingly, helpline advisers reported some callers saying they’d contemplated self-harm or suicide as a result of bullying in the office.
Bullying can be (very) broadly defined as ‘behaviour unacceptable to the recipient’. The ACAS definition makes things clearer: “Bullying may be characterised as offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient.”
It can take many forms, and it’s not unusual for employees to feel confused, asking “am I being bullied?”. It is a genuine question. Sometimes bullying is obvious, but other times it can be incredibly low-key and subtle, never escalating into anything more recognisable. The result is that the victim does not speak out, thinking they are misinterpreting the signs or actions, or blaming themselves … and so it continues …
Here are a few (not-so-obvious) signs of bullying:
The more obvious signs of bullying are all too well-known:
Workplace bullying can (and does) have a devastating impact on your confidence and your ability to do your job. But the effects don’t stop when you leave the office. The ripples spread out in all directions, undermining your emotional, psychological and physical health, too. You may try to keep it to yourself but it can encroach on your relationship and your family life. Whether the bully works in a senior role to you, is one your peers or is even junior to you, the effects on you and your life will be the same.
How can you protect yourself from bullying? Unfortunately, bullies single out victims for a number of reasons (seeing them to be the weakest in the team, perceiving them as a threat, or even taking over from a popular member of staff), there isn’t a foolproof way of protecting yourself. However, if you are or think you are being bullied, you can take action straight away.
The good news – yes, there is some – is that bullying is in the spotlight as never before. Consequently, there is an enormous amount of support and advice available. ACAS has a wealth of information online, as has the TUC, and the Government website. Organisations such as Bullying UK, MIND, and the Citizens Advice Bureau offer help on what to do if you are being bullied, and how to deal with it.
There is a raft of guidance for employers on how to spot bullying, and what actions should be taken. The TUC advises every organisation to have a zero-tolerance, anti-bullying policy, and many have now adopted this approach.
Despite this, workplace bullying is on the increase, severely impacting on our mental and physical health. This, together with the shocking statistic of approximately 11 million3 work-days lost each year to stress (of which bullying plays a large part) show that it’s in everyone’s interest to tackle this problem swiftly and decisively.
www.gov.uk/workplace-bullying-and-harassment
www.bullying.co.uk
www.workplacebullying.co.uk
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/problems-at-work
www.mind.org.uk
Anti-bullying month – 4th – 30th Nov 2017
Anti-bullying week – 13th – 17th Nov 2017
PAul Pennant
MD & Principal Trainer at Today’s PA
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
1www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/bullying/nearly-third-people-are-bullied-work-says-tuc (16.11.15)
2Acas study: Seeking better solutions: tackling bullying and ill-treatment in Britain’s workplaces (16.11.15)
3www.hse.gov.uk/working days lost (Labour Force Survey statistics 2015/2016) (31.10.16)
Tel.: +44 (0)20 7622 2400
Email: info@todayspa.co.uk
Today's PA
52 The Warwick Building
Chelsea Bridge Wharf
366 Queenstown Road
London
SW11 8NJ
Copyright © 2024 Today's PA. All rights Reserved.
We use cookies, just to track visits to our website, we store no personal details.
ACCEPT COOKIES What are cookies?