Stressed out? Then speak out
PPTA News August 2009, p. 12
The Department of Labour and the Health Research Council of New Zealand are taking a close look at workplace bullying and stress – and they want your help.
Both groups have commissioned a study of people’s experiences and well-being at work, and at the moment are looking at the education, hospitality and health industries. They have already conducted a number of interviews with key stakeholders – including representatives from the PPTA, to help develop questions for an anonymous survey.
The survey’s aim is to develop a framework for measuring bullying and stress in New Zealand work places
Researchers hope to use information from the three sectors surveyed to get an initial picture of the extent and nature of the problem.
Before the survey was developed a study was conducted to help understand how New Zealand industries perceive the problems of workplace bullying and stress. It also aimed to identify current initiatives for managing bullying and stress within each industry.
For education, respondents came predominantly from the secondary and tertiary sectors. Group interviews were conducted with representatives from PPTA and the Association of University Staff (AUS) – now amalgamated into the Tertiary Education Union (TEU). Individual interviews were also conducted with representatives from the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand, the Human Resource Institute of New Zealand and the Māori and Pasifika communities.
The results of this exploratory stage showed that bullying and stress were consistently recognised as significant issues for each of the three industries.
“For health and education, bullying appears fairly widespread across the sectors – while in hospitality bullying is associated with a number of 'hotspots', notably the kitchen environment" the study says.
The most frequently mentioned area of risk was the absence of strong leadership to create conditions where bullying was not acceptable. The problem of leaders being promoted on the basis of technical and clinical skills alone was strongly emphasised by respondents from health and education, and a lack of coaching and mentoring for leaders was identified as an important factor.
A lack of resources and staff shortages were considered key risk factors for stress and bullying by respondents from all three sectors. This affected their ability to do their job effectively, contributed to poor morale and subsequent bullying, and reduced the likelihood of strong leadership and effective support for staff.
In health, hospitality and education, those lowest in the pecking order were the most likely targets for bullying and often received the blame for outcomes that were a direct response of decisions made at higher levels.
In education, groups like new and older teachers were treated generally as second-class citizens and lacked voice to defend themselves from improper treatment by management or co-workers, the report says.
The study showed an absence of monitoring and reporting bullying, leading to a lack of information about the extent and nature of the problem, and reducing likelihood of preventative action in at-risk areas.
A further human resource issue emerged with a failure to detect and screen out bullies at the hiring stage. Staff shortages and an overwhelming focus on task-related competencies further compounded this issue.
Very few interventions or initiatives to address workplace bullying or stress were identified by the study, and those that were focused mostly on individual measures such as the provision of EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) support for staff.
“There appears to be insufficient leadership from industry bodies such as the Ministries of Education and Health on policy, with individual DHBs and school boards left to make their own policy and practices,” the report says.
PPTA News August 2009
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