You might think bullying is a behavior left behind on the school yard, but it is becoming more and more apparent that bullying can lead to issues in the workplace as well. In your shipyard, how do you combat workplace bullying? How can you make sure your marine company is a safe and comfortable place for all of your employees? Bully doesn’t just affect emotional health, but the impact can cause physical harm as well. Here are some practical tips to start with to ensure bullying doesn’t become a problem for your company.
Learn about the situation
When you hear about a situation involving bullying in your shipyard, the first thing you need to do is learn about it. Find out who is involved and talk to a variety of people to better understand how it started and why it escalated.
Be professional
Remember that you are in the position of authority, so it is critical that you maintain professionalism even if the other parties are lashing out or unable to come to an agreement. You are the moderator in this situation.
Maintain neutrality
You should also maintain a neutral stance when it comes to dealing with the situation. If someone needs to face consequences, be sure that you are not engaging in victim blaming or adding fuel to the fire by taking sides.
Provide training
At all times, even when situations haven’t occurred, you should find a way to add training regarding bullying to your orientation. Just like safety training, anti-bullying training will go a long way to preventing unnecessary situations in the workplace.
Find the right solution
Finally in the end, you should use your best judgment to determine the right solution to solve the problem. In drastic situations, firing someone who is abusive might be the only solution. Less severe issues may involve transferring someone to a different department or mediating the situation to find common ground.
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