How To Stop Power Harassment
How to stop power harassment, once an organisation has identified it, comes down to an honest judgement about whether the person can change.
Where it is capability. A manager who has never been trained, is under pressure and is managing badly rather than deliberately. Coaching, clear feedback and close supervision can work, and often do.
Where it is pattern. Someone who has had this feedback before, from different teams, in different roles. Coaching has usually been tried and the behaviour returns once attention moves elsewhere.
The second case is where organisations lose their nerve, particularly when the person delivers results or holds knowledge nobody else has.
At that point separation from the team is the responsible option, and every month of delay is a month of harm to people who cannot leave the situation themselves.
Safe Work Australia covers officer duties. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.
See Sentrient’s psychological safety course for managers and bullying course for managers.
Power Harassment at Work: How to Identify, Prevent and Respond
Quick Answer: Power harassment is harassment carried out by someone whose authority over the target makes it hard to refuse, report or escape. Australian law does not use the phrase. Where the conduct is repeated and creates a risk to health and safety it is workplace bullying under the Fair Work Act, and a worker […]
MOST POPULAR POSTS
