What Is Power Harassment In The Workplace

What is power harassment in the workplace when there is no reporting line involved? Most definitions assume a manager and a subordinate, and a good deal of it does not work that way.

Power comes from more than position. A long-serving employee everyone defers to. A high performer whose conduct is tolerated because of their results. A person who controls a system, a roster or access to information. A group with informal influence over how a team operates.

Upward harassment exists too, where a team collectively undermines a new or younger manager, and it is almost never captured by a policy written in terms of authority.

The practical fix is to define the conduct rather than the relationship. A policy that asks whether behaviour is unreasonable and repeated reaches all of these. One that describes managers reaches only some.

Safe Work Australia covers psychosocial hazards. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.

See Sentrient’s workplace bullying course and workplace policy templates.