Hostile work environment

From Season 1, Episode 1 of 'Just Ask Kathleen'

"My work environment feels pretty hostile at the moment. Morale isn't great since we've had a new manager who has more of a tough management style than our last one. I also think that one of my colleagues is being unfairly treated by her. He hasn't spoken to me about it, but I wonder if there's anything I can do to support him."

Kathleen: That's a good question. First things first. I would go to your colleague and have a private word with him or her, saying, "Look, I'm aware that there's a weird dynamic going on here and it feels like you're being a bit bullied. Is there anything I can do to support you other than just be here? If you wanted to speak to a line manager, the person above the manager perhaps, I'm happy to support you with that. Or if there's a union, would you like me to come with you to speak to your union rep to find out what we can do about this?"

If the manager is quite new and is doing that thing that sometimes happens with managers where they try and be extra specially stern and strict just to put their marks down, give it a week or two, but no longer than that because there's no need.

You shouldn't be going to work feeling intimidated or getting a nervous tummy on the way in to work. But the fact that this person has noticed there's something going on and the morale isn't good. Nothing will change if you just continue acknowledging that this is happening but doing nothing about it. You need to support this colleague of yours, tell him you've seen it and witnessed it first-hand and if he wants support with that, you're there for him.

It depends what you feel the dynamic is with the manager, but sometimes you can approach the manager to say, "Look, I really enjoy working in this department. Recently, I felt a little bit of friction within our work group here in this department. I wondered if there's anything I could do to support you as you're new here."

Managers don't necessarily like that, by the way, but it's worth a try if you feel confident enough. If not, then you bypass the manager and go to the person above the manager. Saying, "I'm coming to you in confidence. I want to have this conversation knowing that it's between you and I." And get that assurance first and then have the conversation about what you're feeling about morale at work and what you've witnessed.

You'll be amazed, actually. I remember when I was just 17 and I'd moved away from home three hours north and was doing my nurse training, and on my very first placement, I witnessed an auxiliary nurse being really horrible to patients. And it was my very first placement, I was just out of college, and I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing. I saw three different things within three days, and I went straight to the ward sister and told her. I was really upset because I thought, "If this is what nursing is about, I don't want anything to do with it."

I told her what I'd seen. Now this lady had been working at the hospital for years and years and years, and she was shocked. She was really shocked, and she asked if I would write it down. And then I remembered I was in a union and I said, "Well, can I come back tomorrow night then with my union rep here?" And that's what I did. When I did that, nothing happened straight away, but about a week later I was called into the ward sister's office and she told me that numerous other members of staff who'd worked there for years and years had now come forward after she'd had a meeting with them. But none of them were brave enough, and they'd been there years and years, they were somehow intimidated by this assistant. I don't know what that was about.

So it sometimes takes the newbie or the youngest member of the team to do something in response to bullying, and then the floodgates open and people get confident enough and feel supported enough to follow up with that. So I would always encourage anybody who witnesses bullying in the workplace, however, whatever form that takes to not just turn a blind eye because people really get hurt and damaged by that sort of atmosphere and behaviour.