You've Got to Be Kidding!: How to Keep Your Job Without Losing Your Integrity

Is It Abuse or Harassment or Bullying or Something Else?

Frankly, my dears, it doesn’t matter. Most organizations have ceased to make a distinction among different types of abuse—what’s more important is recognizing a pattern of abuse that constitutes harassment. If a coworker is hurting another coworker in any way, you know everything you need to know. Whatever you call it, it has to stop.

I group all types of abuse, bullying, harassment, and other bad behaviors together when I discuss harassment as an ethical dilemma, since they are all wrong, hurtful, and disrespectful. Regardless of how they are categorized, these behaviors have a common negative impact on the office’s ethical climate and the victims’ job performance. Also, two or more types of harassment may overlap in an incident, such as verbal harassment accompanying emotional and/or sexual abuse. Let the lawyers quibble about the wording; your focus should be responding immediately to an occurrence so the situation does not morph into a “hostile, intimidating, or offensive work environment.” Bottom line: establish a pattern of abuse and you have grounds for a harassment lawsuit.