A faculty task force is working to create procedures to address workplace bullying at Brandeis. The Dignity at Work Task Force presented several recommendations to the faculty senate on how to investigate and settle disputes involving faculty, graduate students and administrators.

Workplace bullying is “a persistent pattern of degrading behavior,” according to Task Force Co-chair and Professor Carol Osler (ECON/FIN), and harms not only victims but Brandeis as an institution.

“Some of our very best scholars have left because they were bullied,” Osler said in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot.

Osler emphasized that the pervasive pattern is key to the definition of workplace bullying. She gave the example of treating someone like they’re invisible, such as not saying hello to them as you pass them.

“If you’re consistently treated as if you’re invisible in that way, and other ways, you eventually get the message that you’re dirt. And that hurts. That is humiliation and degradation,” said Osler.

The offenses can be small, Osler said, and the recommendations to the faculty senate list examples such as extensive unhelpful questioning, interrupting a colleague and forgetting important manners. These acts, however, accumulate to form a pattern causing the victim of bullying to become very sensitive to the bully’s actions.

“It is small, in every way, until it becomes a part of a larger pattern,” Osler said.

Osler also described the costs of workplace bullying not just to Brandeis but to the victim, which can include physical symptoms such as high blood pressure. Osler gave the example of a colleague from another institution who was bullied so severely she could no longer work.

Osler also described how isolating workplace bullying can be for a victim, information included in the report given to the faculty senate. The task force has looked at evidence that suggests that issues of workplace bullying are rarely handled correctly by managers or human resources departments. Coworkers often do not witness instances of bullying, and those that do rarely offer assistance.

The task force recommends resolving difficulties informally, if possible. Many people are afraid to come forward, Osler said, especially because “bosses are usually the bully.”

The task force recommendations are likely to change, said Osler, but the current executive summary of the January proposal recommends informal resolutions with “a Department Chair, a Dean or an Employee Relations representative in Human Resources.”

The task force also recommends creating a new committee, the Dignity at Work Committee, under the faculty senate that will accept cases that couldn’t otherwise be resolved and cases “for which there appears to be sufficient cause to convene an inquiry.”

The new committee would consist of nominated representatives from each division of the Art and Sciences, Heller and IBS. The committee would also include a representative of the VP for diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as a representative for graduate students.

All members of the committee would receive formal training on workplace bullying. Each instance of workplace bullying submitted to the committee would be assigned to a subcommittee of three members.

Osler described the need for new policies to address workplace bullying, saying that, like other institutions, “Brandeis has no policies and procedures, and until recently few people on campus knew anything about it.” Workplace bullying is seen as the “third-rail” of policy issues. “You’re at risk of becoming a lighting rid if you speak about it publicly,” said Osler.

Furthermore, there is a large lack of awareness of workplace bullying, Osler said. “Most people think they know what bullying is but don’t understand that persistence is key.” Another role of the task force is to raise awareness on the issue of workplace bullying, and the task force plans on having education sessions to provide more information to interested faculty.

Though the faculty was generally in favor of the proposals, Osler said, it has experienced some pushback from faculty members. A couple people raised the issue of free speech, Osler said, but described the objections as relatively uncommon. Though some faculty members were uncomfortable with the idea, she said, others who experienced workplace bullying were incredibly grateful.

The task force, created in January of 2017, began submitting their first draft of background literature and proposal to the faculty senate in February of 2018, and their recent submissions are continuing that effort. The report also includes possible consequences for workplace bullying—ranging from ongoing monitoring to recommendation for dismissal—and an appeals process.

The report also recommends further monitoring of workplace bullying on campus, as the data doesn’t currently exist to learn how often it occurs, said Osler. The report recommends holding periodic climate surveys, creating a confidential reporting line and specific training for the university ombuds to address workplace bullying.

The task force will be hosting education sessions about the report that the faculty requested, Osler said, and considering further feedback from the faculty. Osler expects the proposal to change but is hopeful about the prospect of addressing workplace bullying at Brandeis.

Max Everson contributed to this report.