6 Tips for Navigating Workplace Bullying in Social Work

by Dr. Veronica L. Hardy, LCSW

     Imagine that you recently graduated and have landed your dream job. Or, you have been a social work professional for several years and transitioned to an amazing new position. All seemed well during the first few weeks, and then you noticed a shift in how certain colleagues were interacting with you. Unfortunately, you are not fully sure how to interpret what is happening. For example, you question, “Am I just overthinking this?” or, “Am I actually experiencing what I think I am experiencing?” Either way, you continue to go forth, all the while not realizing that you have been a target of workplace bullying.

     Workplace bullying may take on many forms, oftentimes leading you to question whether it is occurring. As noted by Horton (2016), workplace bullying can impact social work professionals ranging from novice to seasoned, or even students in field placements. However, what is workplace bullying, and what are its effects? Workplace bullying embodies acts of aggression that create stress and impede the work performance of the person targeted. Examples of workplace bullying include the following (Vishwakarma et al., 2018):

• developing deficiency rumors about someone’s work performance
• creating gossip about an individual’s personal life to the point that it affects their professional credibility
• hindering someone’s ability to perform their work duties by blocking their access to key documents or other forms of information
• leading somebody to feel unsupported and isolated in the work environment

     Workplace bullying conflicts with the NASW Code of Ethics. For example, ethical standard 2.01(a) states that colleagues should be treated with respect and represented accurately, social workers should avoid inappropriately criticizing colleagues, and social workers are to engage in cooperative interactions with colleagues across professions. Further, ethical standard 2.04(a) notes to avoid exploiting conflicts between colleagues to enhance one’s own agenda, such as promotion or other forms of advancement in the workplace.

     In addition, workplace bullying can have unhealthy effects on the person targeted and services provided. This may include heightened levels of stress, burnout, workplace avoidance through increased use of mental health days or workplace absences, and insufficient work performance. If you are a social worker experiencing workplace bullying that is affecting your motivation, confidence, and ability to perform your responsibilities, here are six tips to help you navigate this challenging experience:

1. Assess Your Needs. Workplace bullying can have mental, emotional, and physical effects on the person targeted. Furthermore, it may impact work performance, thus affecting services provided. Take time to assess your needs. For example, determine the impact of workplace bullying on your mental health (e.g., burnout, increased stress) and work performance (e.g., work avoidance, inaccurate documentation).
2. Document Your Experiences. During incidents of workplace bullying, take steps to document the specific perpetrator, frequency of occurrence of events, and the impact of the incidents on both yourself and clients (e.g., services impacted). Maintain all written and voice records, such as emails, text messages, or phone messages. Keep a thorough record to identify the patterns, so you can supply this information if the need arises.
3. Consult the NASW Code of Ethics. Obtain insight from the professional standards about ethical interactions with colleagues across professions, appropriate methods to resolve disputes, and ways to engage consultation to process workplace bullying experiences. For example, ethical standard 2.10(c) encourages consulting with the colleague when unethical behaviors are witnessed. Although the specific reason underlying a perpetrator’s behaviors may not be known, workplace bullying behaviors impede efficient and effective practice, thus hindering delivery of services and optimal functioning of colleagues. Furthermore, 2.08(b) and 2.10(d) encourage taking action through workplace procedures, NASW, and/or licensing and credentialing entities if unethical behaviors and issues affecting practice effectiveness are not resolved.
4. Explore Workplace Reporting Procedures. Workplace bullying may be persistent and rise to the level of necessary reporting to those in leadership or human resources. If this is the case, explore the employee manual and related human resources documentation to gain insight about proper reporting procedures pertaining to incivility in the workplace. This is where the documentation of your experiences can be helpful when expressing your concerns and seeking guidance for next steps.
5. Build Mentorship Networks. Obtain mentorship about how to navigate conflict in the workplace. Engage with fellow social workers to learn more about their experiences and ways they developed a professional response to workplace bullying. Building mentorship networks can occur through methods such as joining social work organizations or even attending social work conference and training events.
6. Engage in Resilience Training. Workplace bullying can impede a social worker’s professional development across the career span. Therefore, resilience training can equip you with internal coping skills such as emotional regulation, internal motivation, and conflict resolution. Participating in resilience training can aid with the enhancement of your skill-based toolkit.

     Engaging in methods of professional self-care, such as confronting workplace bullying, is critical. Remember, as a social worker, your mental health and ability to engage in optimal work performance are essential.

References

Horton, K. B. (2016). Exploring workplace bullying through a social work ethics-informed lens. Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics, 13(1), 25-32.

Vishwakarma, A. K., Mishra, V., & Kumar. S. (2018). Workplace bullying: A noxious treatment for employee mental health. Indian Journal of Health & Wellbeing, 9(5), 730-734.

Dr. Veronica L. Hardy, LCSW, is a Professor of Social Work at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Dr. Hardy is a social justice advocate, professional consultant, author, and mentor to new social workers and junior faculty members. She is the creator of The Social Work Lounge, a mentorship group facilitated via Facebook.