Bite Size HR: Workplace Bullies; The Ugly Truth

In an article from today’s Metro Herald it was revealed that following research from an associate professor at Michigan State University, a link has been made from a workers appearance to bullying. It appears from the research that ugly workers, as well as difficult and disagreeable workers, are treated more harshly than others. 

The research published in the journal of human performance asked american healthcare workers how often other staff were cruel to them, and then people who didn’t know the participants were shown photos of them to judge their attractiveness. The results showed that even when factors such as age, gender and employment time are taken into account, ugly workers are treated much more harshly than their attractive colleagues.

Whilst it is a humorous/sensationalist headline there is a very serious issue at the heart of this. Workplace bullying can have dramatic effects on an employee and as an employer you have a duty of care towards your employees to allow them to operate in a workplace free from bullying and harassment. The long term effects of bullying can be long term absence, due to stress or anxiety, or resignations and both can cause headaches for an employer.

Click here to read some of our previous posts on the issue of workplace bullying.

 

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