I’m sure many will agree
when I say there is something particularly sinister about workplace bullies who
pretend they’re bullying you for your own good.
Howard was a master of
this. This was the boss, after all, who once explained in an email that his
calling me a lesbian was not meant to cause offence, but was “more constructive criticism”.
So I find it particularly shocking
that the most recent Government employment law reform proposal adopts the same
technique.
Ministers are suggesting a
reform to enable bosses to sack staff with an instant one-off pay-off as part
of their Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill. If the money is accepted then
employees lose any right to bring an unfair dismissal claim in the Employment
Tribunal. This sounds suspiciously like asking staff to sign their legal rights
away at a time when they’re going to be most worried about money. Bad enough. But
here’s the worst bit:
It’s all packaged up as a
reform designed to allow employees to leave a firm with dignity.
Yes. Apparently such an
exit package allows that when an employee is sacked, handed their P45, a
confidentiality clause, a cheque (comprising probably one month’s wages) and a
legal disclaimer saying they’ve signed their rights away to bring legal action
at Tribunal, they will feel pretty good about themselves. They’ll be able to hold
their heads high, knowing they’ve struck a bit of a savvy bargain.
Who needs lawyers or legal rights when you're making stressful, spur of the moment life changing decisions?
Who needs lawyers or legal rights when you're making stressful, spur of the moment life changing decisions?
And what if an employee’s sacking
is the end result of a campaign of bullying? We know how often this happens.
Can you imagine how bullied employees will feel being offered this one-off
pay-off from the people supposedly protecting them from bullying at work?
The Government is really just
proposing a generic, employer-led Compromise Agreement. It’s just one more
hurdle between you and justice if you find yourself out on the scrap-heap.
And the fact that they’re
telling us it’s all for our own good? It makes me angry. Like I said, I’ve
heard it all before. I’m not usually one for swearing but:
One-off pay-off? **** Off!
So much for inspiring
dignity!
Very best
BBTB
5 comments:
Oh so very true!! As if things weren't bad enough... ie Workplace psychological manipulation/bullying being used as a surreptitious management tool (& also being very hard to prove without negative effects for the victim)... now the government gives employers a big sledge-hammer to 'finish the job!'
What I am wondering has bullying always been a management style and practices like this just relieving any possible guilt residue while providing financial protection for the perpetrator. Why did we not address bullying as a management style in my management classes in college; because, it appears to be the style of choice since sometime in the 1990. Until we stop adult bullying and manipulation we will never successfully address this horrific behavior in children. This is not a natural occurring relationship building behavior and bullying is something that children learn by observation and in order to appear grown up imitate. I for one believe it is not only offensive to watch, participate in as perpetrator or victim but is what build Evil.
Thanks heaps for your comments.
Yes! The "it's for your own good and improvement" makes working life impossible for targets who are portrayed as stubborn if they don't change and easily manipulated if they do.
I hear what you say, Gladys, about bullying not being classified as an accepted management style - when it clearly is. I've also written before about it not being covered on some employment law courses - which is just bizarre!
I agree with you re: child/adult bullying. If we excuse bullying in one area, such as work, we inadvertently excuse it elsewhere, such as the school yard.
Do the terms for accepting this one-off payment include getting a good reference? When I was bullied at work my boss tried to undermine my professional reputation. Thankfully she failed and in the end resorted to giving me redundancy so I was able to leave with my professional reputation intact. A good professional reputation is important if people want to move on to other jobs.
This is EXACTLY what American employers do. It was done to me years ago.
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