Stop the bullies!

Although most people today are familiar with the concept of workplace bullying or harassment, it wasn’t always so. In the early 1990s the late Andrea Adams, working with Neil Crawford, first broached the topic on a radio phone-in show. They were overwhelmed by the number of callers reporting problems and jointly published Bullying At Work: How to Confront and Overcome It. From that point the issue of abusive, unfair and demeaning behaviour in the workplace took on a life of its own.

Contributors said it was easier to put up with bullying, knowing their contract would end soon, than to make a fuss about it

During the past two decades researchers have explored bullying in various industries and environments, including arts and cultural organisations. Work has expanded to encompass studies examining bullying related to race, gender, disabilities, body shape, gender orientation and other factors.

In cultural organisations there are many case studies and examples revealing how conductors have bullied musicians, stage managers and directors have bullied performers, and poorly trained managers have perpetuated bad practice by bullying everyone around them, especially in media organisations.

Bullying is an abuse of power, and so bullies tend to be those at or near the top of an organisation, although instances of bullying by peers and upward bullying have also been reported.

A vulnerable environment

In 2013 new research was commissioned by the Federation of Entertainment Unions (FEU) and undertaken by Cathy John, Senior Lecturer at Arts University Bournemouth. There are aspects of cultural workplaces that leave them particularly open to abusive practices. The report identified the following as particular vulnerabilities: high-pressure, freelance trends and a culture of silence.

In the arts people often find themselves in roles that are demanding, that they are frequently passionate about and committed to. This means they may tend to work above and beyond the call of duty, a factor that is ripe for exploitation where there are unscrupulous bosses. Working longer hours for less pay than professionals in other sectors is therefore sometimes taken as a given, and arts workers can find they are expected to collude with others in accepting unhealthy and overlong workloads.

The concept of precarity has been widely explored in recent years and refers to the unsafe terms and conditions associated with freelance working. Employers offering zero hours contracts in any employment sector are thrusting precarity on their workers, yet many actors, musicians, dancers, writers, technicians and digital media and video gaming personnel are engaged in ‘portfolio working’. This means their next job is dependent on the current one, or the one before, or simply word of mouth in some industries.

The report found ill-treatment to be vastly under-reported, and generally this is linked to anxiety about future employment for those dependent on freelance work. In many cases contributors said it was easier to put up with bullying, knowing their contract would end soon, than to make a fuss about it and perhaps gain a reputation as troublemakers.

Managing bullying

Workplace bullying can throw up a raft of divided loyalties depending on the stance employees take, so people who are targeted need to proceed with caution. If you are experiencing bullying or have witnessed it, do the following:

• Make a record of the behaviour and keep it safe – not in your workplace.
• If someone else has witnessed it, and you trust them, ask if they will corroborate your evidence.
• If you have support at home or among non-work trusted friends let them know what is happening.
• If your organisation has an anti-bullying policy, check any recommended steps for reporting it and decide if they are appropriate in your circumstances. It may be that the person you should be reporting to is the bully.

The damaging nature of bullying behaviour, having both psychological and often related physical effects, makes dealing with it difficult. Circumstances vary, and for those in a long-term, permanent job the relentless experience of being bullied over a period of time often wears people down, causing stress and personal health problems.

On more than one occasion, when a bully is firmly entrenched in an organisation and perceived to be untouchable, we have advised people to leave for the sake of their sanity.

Avoiding a bullying culture

Cultural organisations, whether large or small, should have an anti-bullying policy in place that details the rights and responsibilities of all employees and board members. The policy should also cover any freelancers who can feel unprotected and worry about how they may be perceived if they were to make a complaint of bullying. Good management practices can help organisations avoid the toxicity that bullying behaviour can bring to the workplace.

Piers Jackson and Anne-Marie Quigg are Directors of Jackson Quigg Associates Ltd.
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