03 May 2012, 17:07

Connie Jones-Hairston

ABSTRACT

Workplace bullying is a serious problem in today’s workplace and it’s a silent epidemic. This study examines the prevalence of workplace bullying, and the repeated mistreatment of an individual within an organization.  The research showed how bullying effects a target’s health, which can impact the employee job performance and cost the organization. Workplace bullying is difficult to identify and may contain some elements of harassment. The key findings of this study show that workplace bullying has a big impact on organizations and there’s a need for legislation.  The data in this study found that 25% of Pace University MPA students reported being bullied at work, an additional 50% witnessed bullying. Half of Pace University MPA students have some experienced with workplace bullying. 10% of the respondents reported neither experiencing it, nor witnessing bullying and 15% never have been bullied.  This study examined the need for legislation. Existing laws require harassment to be discriminatory. Under the Healthy Workplace Bill substitutes health-impairment for discrimination and extends protection to all employees, working for either public or private employers, can seek compensation for being subjected to an abusive work environment. The Healthy Workplace Bill is the first American legislation to catch up with legal protections for workers in the rest of the industrialized world.