Office Bullying and Harassment Policy Volume Nov 2013 | Page 36

Financial costs
Beyond the effects on workers, there are financial costs associated with workplace bullying and
harassment — such that it could be less expensive to prevent bullying and harassment than to
address the effects after it takes place. Here are some examples of where valuable work time
could be lost within an organization, and how costs might increase, as a result of bullying and
harassment:
•

time spent advising/coaching the alleged bully by managers, supervisors, and Human
Resources personnel

•

time spent advising/coaching the target by managers, supervisors, and
Human Resources personnel

•

time spent by witnesses advising/coaching the target and seeking help for
themselves

•

time spent by management and Human Resources personnel making decisions about
the problem

•

time and costs associated with advertising, recruiting, hiring, and training workers to
replace those who leave because of workplace bullying and harassment

(Mattice 2009)

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Toward a respectful workplace