Mobbing and Bullying in the Workplace
Written by Barbara Byrd P.h.D, Deborah Mailander, J.D., and Helen Moss
Bullying and mobbing behavior poses a daunting challenge for labor relations practitioners. The problem is complex and there is little in the way of legal or contractual guidance for handling problems. In this paper we analyze strategies that unions and employers are using to deal with bullying in a collective bargaining environment. Unfortunately, it is difficult to recommend specific “best practices” for stopping bullying, because there is little evidence-based research on what actually works. With that disclaimer, it is still worthwhile to examine trends in how practitioners approach the problem.