NEWS: Workplace Bullying Law: Holy Shit, When Does it End?

CULTURE: Workplace Bullying Law: Holy Shit, When Does it End?

There are so many horrific reminders of the current state of society, and the rapidly plummeting situations around us, that it's hard for one new development to even stand out amid the craziness. So, so many, grim signposts to choose from. An idiotic ruling here, a stupid action there... In that context, what could possibly be so egregious as to snap you out of your malaise and cause you to react? Why the following piece of anti-bullying legislation:

They don't sound like much, because they are not, in fact, much. These are also the tactics of most people, most of the time, during most of the activities on the planet.

Seems pretty straightforward to me...

I don't... He doesn't... Yes, I'm being glib but, this "problem" seems to be blown a bit out of proportion.

Where's the survey on the percentage of people who are mean? And the one cataloguing all those people whose feeling were hurt?

Oh my God, did you see him just belittle me? And then he gossiped about me! And now my duties have been stripped!!

Perhaps I should go to another superior, try to figure why I'm such a pussy, fight back, get another job, or come to the realization that the world is hard and unfair and there are far more important things to cry over, and maybe someone else is hiring world class sissies today?

Nah, I'll wait for someone to pass a law. After all, it's 2008 and one of those gets passed every seven minutes! In fact, every time an angel gets its wings, it's slapped with brand new, anti-flying legislation. Thanks government!

Sigh...

Holy shit... Yes, not everyone is going to like you. Not everyone is going to be nice to you. Some people are dicks. And there's nothing the government needs to or should be doing about it. NOTHING.

I know that sounds callous and uncaring and, really, I don't care. But if I did, I'd be making the same point. Trust me on that. This is insanity.

Someone could be tormented and humiliated even with a law like this in place, there is no reasonable effective way to police something like this and the courts already have far too much to worry about. Please, society, enough...

Yes, this is called "working." Go to the police with threats, go to your boss with problems. If he's too busy to bother, think about why that might be, and then think about whether a court of law should really be finding the time for it, if your dumpy boss can't. That's the system, I'm sorry, it kinda sucks, and if push comes to shove you might need to find a solution, (B-b-b-but, all by myself??), but a lawsuit ain't it.

Just to be on the safe side, for those of you who may feel I'm on the wrong side of this, let's take a look at some of the people affected

Ahh the solution. Which is, apparently, wait for this law to get passed and then... huh?

Hotshot, maybe that's because you can't stop talking about the supposed 30 million dollars you saved them. And then wrote to a fucking newspaper about it.

Um, PLEASE CALL THE POLICE IMMEDIATELY. Holy shit. I'm fairly certain behavior like this is prohibited under existing laws.

You again? Jesus, sir, I'm begging you, stop typing and GO TO THE COPS.

Maybe she got away with it cause you actually never read her email? And I'm curious, what position were you hired for that involved you "sitting with your back to your computer." Were your feet up and eyes closed? Cause that job's called "shitty worker."

Ahh, the telekenetic bully, a dangerous foe indeed. This was also the two months where you had laryngitis, I'm guessing? And all your friends and co-workers had gone on that cruise without you, thus preventing them from speaking up for you or writing a letter you dictated...

Finally a sensible response.

Please, let this law fail. It seems that so many of these asinine laws pass that the reaction goes full circle, even among sensible people and inevitably some guy pipes up that "well, these laws make sense and people can be hurt etc..." That guy is wrong. This law is ridiculous. Please stop, everyone.


Make no mistake, TheCoolerKing hates bullies, and you should too.

Its the USA, we are all criminals here, just look at our prison population.

I get harrassed by my bosses all the time at work. You know what I did? Went out and found a new job, because it's the kind of harrassment that isn't illegal and shouldn't be - the kind that's a pain in the ass and makes going to work every day more of a chore than it should be. But it never crossed my mind to sue them about it, or lobby for a law to make it illegal. They don't like me, and I don't like them, we'll never see eye to eye, and that's the root of our tension. So I'm getting a new job, simple as that. Kinda what a normal person would do. Seriously, this is the kind of law that people take advantage of and kill small business.

I got harassed by my boss several years ago. He was a total dick and everyone hated him. One thing he didn't count on was the fact that you try to fuck with me I fight back. I think I really freaked him out when he started yelling at me over something stupid and I got right back in his face and told him off. I also had an assistant manager who pulled the same shit. He did a 180 when he pushed me to the point that I quit. I was getting my stuff out of my locker when he came back and, trying not to freak out and trying to get me to stay, without apologizing of course. I still laugh my ass off when I think about it. And just to let you know, both of these assholes are long gone, they both 'resigned' for one reason or another.

I think you're deliberately missing some points here.

While I generally agree that in theory this ought not be a legislative move, in practice I'm well aware that not everyone's HR department is helpful or accessible in any way. I also feel like it should be fairly obvious that the current economic state of the country (on top of an individual's possible economic state) often makes it a little less simple than "omgz get new jeorbs pussies!"

I don't think that our government should have to tell people to behave professionally in a professional environment. However, if an employee is getting penalized because his/her boss simply doesn't like him/her as a person and decides to harass him/her, and that person has no human resources people at said employer who will do anything about it, I don't think it's entirely off the wall to try to come up with possible legal protections against detrimentally-job-affecting unfair treatment.

And by the way, I don't know what the hell you do for a living, but actual depression and anxiety disorders as a result of your job aren't normal or acceptable things.

My boss can be a smart ass to us but you know what I do? I become a smart ass back to him. Granted this may not work with everybody,but it works fine for me.

Meh. Nation of sheep.

Work is called work for a reason- and they pay us for it for a reason...Every job is going to involve stress in some way or another. Most people are going to have to work with and under some other people...some of these people won't always be nice or fair people... THIS IS LIFE!!! either deal with it, or get a new job!!
I would tend to agree that is cases that get too out of hand, we already have laws against things such as assault. There is simply no need for more laws, and more government involvement in every facet of our lives

Oh...my...God.

Every single person I work with would be fired. In my field...exploitng the fears, insecurities & weaknesses of your co-workers is almost required.

If you don't believe government should have to tell people how to behave professionally, then why pass a law?

I loathe the idea of social engineering, and this is a prime example of it. Lawmakers love this shit because it gives them a cause to make speeches about. Media loves this shit because it gives them something to write about. Enough law already. We cannot engineer a better human race through more law. This is insanity, and it cannot work.

history proves you so wrong though! we shamed the workplace out of child labor and sexual harrassment and into workers rights and evening out the payscales between races and sexes. im not sure the bullying law will work, but your arguement sounds ridiculously retrogressive, like youd be arguing that women cant handle math in the '40s or that irishmen couldnt be professionals in the 1800s!

Well... you can change mores, folkways & norms...but you cannot change human nature.

agreed. ive had some jobs that were stressful because my boss was a crazy alcoholic, or micromanager, but i really dont have 'being bullied' experience to add to the table. and i know thats because i dont work in specific types of industries. (im thinkin sales or litigation, for example) that said, setting a tone for what norms should be to increase productivity and worker health in the workplace are good, on the whole.

Go to human resources, it's their job. If there is no human resource department, speak with your supervisor about the person. If that person happens to be your boss, speak to that person's boss. If people are not willing to do something about the issue, congratulations, you work for a bunch of assholes and it's time to find another place to work.

If the treatment falls under harassment, then there are already existing laws that will support you in such circumstances. Sue the ass off of the company for failing to provide a safe work environment.

But if someone's a dick? They're a dick - there isn't much you can do about it legally.

Actually, at 35 I can't just say "Well my boss is a dick, and I'll go make $900 a week elsewhere, and worry about rent next month! Poo poo on you, I quit!" There's stress and financial worry involved in the job search as well, followed by performance reviews and working one's way up a new totem pole. I certainly stand up for myself, but my boss is also the business owner, a bipolar, micromanaging asshole. He recently caused me to have an anxiety attack that landed me in the hospital. Now while I'll agree that government should not they themselves become arrogant micromanagers that litigate and legislate all aspects of society, it would certainly be nice to have laws in place that make people think twice about destructive behavior in the workplace. After all, calling a black man "the 'N' word" is illegal at the workplace. According to most of you however, if he complains, he's just a pussy. Life is tough, N****r, right?

History does not discredit my assertion. I do not believe there is any evidence of law changing our evolving natures, except perhaps to make us less able to deal with each other. People evolve outside of law. Grossly unpopular laws do not pass. Government loves to take credit post facto for the natural outcomes of practically everything. The argument over sexual harassment in the '90s proves that a popular movement was willing to define harassment and prosecute it, but the laws themselves do as much harm as good - the majority was off in my opinion. For every case of sexual harassment that was proven beyond the shadow of a doubt, I would be willing to bet there are equal or maybe more cases of wrong convictions. I think it's retrogressive to try to govern people's behavior, outside of our naturally governable rights (the right to not be physically harmed, robbed, etc.); religion and politics has been trying to do this to us for all time.

Haha, what a funny joke, i'm a cop in the air force and if this was a law for us EVERYONE would be fired. Adapt and overcome, you'll be a stronger person as a result. Or maybe everyone can go cry to mom.

Preschool teacher?

I like how many people state that their boss is a dick. Because that is how karma works,..if your a boss, then karma goes full circle and in time you will become a cunt of a person. It is just not possible that the little guy employee is actually the dick 50% of the time.

maybe they could kinda go a different route... 2 drink minimum at lunch + 2pm naptime - government intrusion = happy worker. then if the bully still acts up, go office space on them.

u got it all wrong u find the fucking dueches adress pay ur lil 13 cousions/ neese newpehs to egg/ spray paint key hes car/ house . fuck his wife anal tap his daughter. everyones got a weakness. you just have to know how to turn shit around on people. take a picture of his face put a trans sexual bottom half go to cofee shop email it to everyone including yourself shit like that. I pity the butt fucker that starts some shit with me at work. I had a supervisor that was adick at a day job i called 1800 homos or some shit and transfered the call to his office, with a code at the end that defaults it to speaker and forces the call threw. went threw hes desk one night when he was smoking and got his id number so i logged the phone in at an empty station where the cameras couldnt see with his id and sent the call on a time rely to hit his desk when the owner was in man was he pissed. about the 3rd time i did some shit liek that right after he got done being a fuckface, he knocked the bullshit off. i think to many people work and stress out about raises and promotions at places they know there not going to get them instead of going to schol or pursing there trde. If it aint what u want to do with your life 100% then have some fun with it and lighten up a little bit. ANd if you just want to be hardcore throwing a bag of deciapted kittens throw his bedroom window will chill anymoter fucker out.

What the holy fuck is wrong with you?

Like, seriously. How does a person get like this? How does this happen?

its the masculinity olympics!