How to amicably solve workplace bullying?
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How to amicably solve workplace bullying?
My wife is working for a local animal health company and over last few weeks she has been harassed and bullied by couple of managers. This happened after she applied for a different job within same company. Now the harassment and bullying has become a daily occurrence creating very stressful environment at work. She is wrongly accused of things, asked to take responsibility for others mistakes, etc.
Asked on June 11, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, Nebraska
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Actually, there may not be much that she can do short of quitting. Harrassment and bullying is not typically enough to bring a legal claim. in order for a workplace to be considered "hostile" (which is actionable), it must be one that prevents the employee from doing their job in a reasonable manner. A co-worker (including superiors), either by words and/or actions, must create an environment that is counterproductive to the employee performing their work duties. That having been said, such behavior typically must be "discriminatory" in nature (see below) and are not just a result of rude or unprofessional behavior. Therefore, based on the facts presented, it is not that your wife has an actionable claim. At this point you may want to consult directly with an employment law attorney or with your state's department of labor.
Note: Workplace discrimination is action taken against an employee because they are a member of a "protected class"; in other words unfavorable treatment based an employee's race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, national origin, etc.
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