Office Bullying and Harassment Policy Volume Nov 2013 | Page 46
Scenarios
The following scenarios provide examples of how to respond to incidents of workplace bullying and
harassment. Responses will vary, based on the particular circumstances of each case. Workplaces
might choose to use these scenarios to have a conversation about workplace bullying and harassment
during training sessions or staff meetings.
Scenario 1: Target and supervisor address bullying and harassment
Jenny and Mei are licenced practical nurses who work together in a private care facility for seniors.
Jenny has worked there for 15 years and Mei started six months ago. Their supervisor often
compliments Mei on her work, but Jenny belittles Mei in front of patients and other workers. Yesterday,
Jenny yelled at Mei in front of the patients and told her she never does anything right.
According to the facility’s procedures, Mei’s supervisor is the contact person for reporting bullying and
harassment, and is also named as the investigator.
What is Mei experiencing?
•
Mei is a new worker and might be more vulnerable to bullying and harassment in the workplace.
•
Jenny seems to have power in the relationship because she has been a nurse and worked at
the care facility for much longer than Mei. Mei and her supervisor should be aware of this
potential power imbalance.
How could Mei address this situation?
•
Mei could approach Jenny to discuss her behaviour. She should be specific about which
behaviours are unacceptable, and point out how they violate the facility’s bullying and
harassment policy
— as well as how they affect her personally.
•
If Jenny agrees that her actions have been inappropriate, she and
Mei could talk about changes each could make to improve their working relationship.
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Toward a respectful workplace