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Why U.S. Employers Do So Little
Many of the facts below have been confirmed by the 2007 WBI-Zogby Survey.
Targets underreport it (40% of targets never tell). Employers simply may not know about it.
Most (80%) bullying is legal, rendering laws and law-compliant policies inapplicable
Thus, 62% of employers either do nothing or worsen the situation (retaliation) because they can do so with legal impunity.
The majority of bullies (73%) are managers; senior managers and HR reflexively side with management when disputes arise.
Bullies derive 73% of their support from executives, peer managers and HR
Bullies (an unknown percentage) are following orders from above
Executives have been bullied by the bullies. They are afraid to act. They have a disproportionate fear of lawsuits brought by the bully if they dare investigate or sanction the bully.
Bullies invented their reputation as indispensable high-performers in case they were ever exposed. Target complainants are then not believed.
Employers don't actually know how to stop it. They forgot the lessons learned from having to correct and prevent illegal discrimination.
Employers don't recognize bullying as violence in the workplace. The problem is erroneously defined as "conflict," and the wrong solutions are applied.
Our society is highly aggressive and competitive. Bullies embody these two popular tactics. Hostility is more normative than the exception. So, bullying/abuse/psychological violence at work is positively embraced more often than despised.
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