Workplace stress and bullying: liabilities of the employer

Workplace Incivility and Productivity Losses among Direct Care Staff

The purpose of this study was to examine incivility experienced by direct health care staff in their workplaces. The sample ( N = 184) was 91% female and 77% White, with 71% of the participants having earned an associate degree or above and 81% being registered nurses. The Work Limitations Questionnaire and the Incivility in Healthcare Survey were distributed to all direct care staff at a major metropolitan hospital (22% response rate). Correlations were found between workplace incivility from direct supervisors and productivity ( r = 0.284, p = .000) and workplace incivility from patients and productivity ( r = 0.204, p = .006). Incivility from physicians, incivility from other direct care staff, and general environmental incivility were not shown to be significantly related to productivity. Demographics were not related to levels of workplace incivility. Workplace incivility from patients and management appears to have a greater impact on employees' productivity than workplace incivility from other sources.

Workplace Incivility and Productivity Losses among Direct Care Staff

The purpose of this study was to examine incivility experienced by direct health care staff in their workplaces. The sample ( N = 184) was 91 % female and 77% White, with 71% of the participants having earned an associate degree or above and 81% being registered nurses. The Work Limitations Questionnaire and the Incivility in Healthcare Survey were distributed to all direct care staff at a major metropolitan hospital (22% response rate). Correlations were found between workplace incivility from direct supervisors and productivity ( r = 0.284, p = .000) and workplace incivility from patients and productivity ( r = 0.204, p = .006). Incivility from physicians, incivility from other direct care staff, and general environmental incivility were not shown to be significantly related to productivity. Demographics were not related to levels of workplace incivility. Workplace incivility from patients and management appears to have a greater impact on employees' productivity than workplace incivility from other sources.

Tackling work place bullying

In a qualitative study of experiences of work place bullying in a rural area, participants explored ways of diminishing, eliminating, or addressing bullying behaviours. They described effective strategies that they had used to protect themselves and to begin to address bullying at a number of different levels. A brief overview of the research method and findings is given. This paper presents participants' strategies for intervening to address work place bullying at personal, group, organizational, public, and policy levels. The paper includes implications for practitioners, employers, and the public to tackle the pervasive issue of work place bullying.