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Bullying is a form of violence in the workplace; it is not part of the job. We all have a responsibility to stop it and work towards a Bully-Free Workplace.
NSGEU is introducing a new Occupational Health & Safety initiative called the NSGEU Bully-Free Workplace Program. It is a peer-to-peer facilitation program, tested and proven over the past year in a variety of workplaces.
Bullying is very detrimental to employees and employers. According to the Canadian Safety Council, 75% of people bullied in the workplace will leave their jobs. Bullying has been shown to reduce productivity and result in increased sick time for employees.
Peer-to-peer facilitation is an excellent starting point in discussions about workplace bullying. Trained facilitators will be delivering the NSGEU Program to workplaces across the region.
The Program is designed to help workers identify whether a person may be a bully. It also covers what's not considered workplace bullying. Not all conflict situations in the workplace constitute bullying or harassment - this program will help workers recognize the difference.
In addition, the Program will help the employer to take reasonable steps to identify environmental factors that increase the potential for workplace bullying.
Bullying is psychological harassment and an abuse of authority. It can result in effects such as; increased sick-leave, decreased productivity, high turnover, reduced enthusiasm, lack of communication, low job satisfaction, increased stress, increased worker compensation costs, as well as higher costs overall. For all of these reasons NSGEU's Bully-free Workplace Program outlines a variety of management strategies that can support workers and improve the psychological work environment.
For more information contact: NSGEU Labour Resource Centre at inquiry@nsgeu.ca
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE