He said he had a company manager admit to him once, in a graduate business course he was taking, that a common method of getting unwanted employees to leave is to treat them harshly. And he said employees' fears about retribution for complaining are justifiable. They understand that they have to put food on the table and pay their mortgage, so the pain of being willing to take the bullying is a lot less than the alternative, which is to lose your job. John Crosier, president of the Business and Industry Association, said it only makes good business sense to listen to employees' concerns. Crosier said people need to be encouraged to report bullying incidents, and he believes most bullies will end up out of a company.
Experts say there's more at stake here than worker contentment and company productivity.
Perry noted schools are now looking at ways to reduce schoolyard bullying that can lead to violence, the most extreme example being the Littleton, Colo., massacre by two youths who reportedly considered themselves outcasts.