Power Harassment At Workplace
Power harassment at workplace level survives for years in plain sight, and the reason is structural rather than moral. The people who witness it have the most to lose by naming it.
A colleague who speaks up is raising a concern about the person who writes their review, approves their leave and decides their next role. Everyone in the team understands that arithmetic without anyone stating it.
The result is a team that privately agrees the behaviour is wrong and collectively says nothing, and the affected person concludes nobody else can see it.
What changes this is not encouraging courage. It is removing the cost. A reporting route that bypasses the line entirely, feedback that reaches someone other than the manager described, and visible evidence that the last person who raised something was not harmed by it.
Safe Work Australia covers the duty. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.
See Sentrient’s whistleblower course and respect at work training.
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 […]
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