Mother Bear

I don’t get mad, I get even. I’m like a mother bear. You fuck with my kids, I will fuck you up. My boss has twin boys the same age as my daughter. The kids usually come to the store. They are too young to be home alone, and the job allows parental multitasking. It’s [...] Posted on Thursday, 17th May 2012 @ 1:06 PM

What To Do?

My manager is constantly borrowing money off me. We are at $360 over 3 years and has never paid me one penny back. He has it but has never offered. He treats me without any respect and makes my life hell until he needs money and then he is nice for a few months. I [...] Posted on Wednesday, 16th May 2012 @ 2:07 PM

Smokin’ In The Boy’s Room

I had a boss in 1990 that would smoke his horrible, smelly cigars in his office with the door closed. I never really knew it until I had to personally deliver a memo to his door. I knocked, but he was at lunch, so I put it on his desk, and the smell made me [...] Posted on Tuesday, 15th May 2012 @ 1:15 PM

Pizza Pizza

After I got out of the Army, I did some odd jobs while waiting for a real one to present itself. I ended up working for cash (under the table) at a local pizza joint. My boss never gave anything away for free if he could help it… but he was “fair” in his own [...] Posted on Monday, 14th May 2012 @ 1:26 PM

Q & A: Put end to harassment, bullying quickly

Q: My problem is one person who keeps picking on me. I’m fairly new and still learning but that’s no reason why every day I should get yelled at, sworn at, made fun of, called an “old fart” or ridiculed for my heritage. Some of my work has even been sabotaged and a few of …

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Bad bosses beware

By Jessica Lussenhop Joe Henry hated his boss so much, he would’ve preferred his old Army drill sergeant. “A drill sergeant is consistently one way,” he says. “You know you’re going to get yelled at no matter what.” Henry, a barrel-chested man with military posture, joined the Army at age 18 and deployed with one …

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ON: Harassment in the workplace: limitations on an employer’s responsibilities

By Lyndsay A. Wasser The recent introduction of requirements for policies and procedures relating to harassment and workplace violence in Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (“OHSA”) has increased the regulatory workload on employers. However, a recent decision by the Ontario Labour Relations Board (the “Board”) appears to limit to some extent the scope of …

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Workplace bullying: When HR is the target

By The HR Specialist Ever feel like you’re the unofficial “shock absorber” in your organization, soaking up the complaints and abuse from all corners of the workplace? A recent study says many HR professionals serve such a role—and they’re paying a heavy price for it. More than one-third of HR professionals say they’re bullied by …

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Risk of violence in federal workplace examined

By Eric Yoder All federal government organizations are potentially at risk for workplace violence, not just those in high-crime areas or dealing with potentially violent members of the public, according to an agency studying the issue. The Merit Systems Protection Board has released preliminary findings of a study it launched after release of statistics showing …

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Workplace violence mitigated by emergency communications plan

By Matt Dunning With a well-organized, comprehensive emergency communications plan, mid-market companies can significantly reduce the risk of long-term physical, emotional and financial fallout resulting from a violent incident in the workplace, security and risk management experts say. Conversely, failing to develop communication protocols can inflict additional damage on a company. To bolster a company’s …

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Workplace Violence and Personal Injury

Harassment and violence in the workplace is a form of abuse and bullying that goes largely unnoticed in this country. Despite the fact that it is not talked of often, the U.S. Department of Labor estimated that roughly 2,000,000 Americans are victims of workplace violence each year. However, not all incidents of workplace violence constitute …

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Survey Reveals how Employers Manage Workplace Violence Incidents

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Survey Findings: Workplace Violence, published on February 29, 2012, more than one third of organizations reported that they have experienced violence or threats of violence in their organization. Therefore, it is critical that all employers understand the risks of workplace violence and potential responses to these …

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Beyond the Bully and the Bullied: Bullying Also Impacts the Mental Health of the “Bystanders”

Although not everyone may be a victim of bullying or a bully themselves, people oftentimes overlook the third person involved in a bullying situation: the witness or bystander. Research suggests that approximately two out of every three children have witnessed bullying, and with the advent of cyberbullying, that number continues to grow rapidly. The bystander …

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Taking Aim At Workplace Violence

By Edward Boehm A recent shooting death in Long Beach, California, has placed the issue of workplace violence back on employers’ radar-screens. On February 16, a federal immigration agent was shot and killed by a coworker while at the workplace. The shooting occurred after a counseling session escalated into a physical confrontation and then turned …

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