A Chronological Menu of Services
From Policy-Led Change through Education to Investigations of Alleged Bullying

Policy Creation | All-Hands Training | Specialty Education
Investigations | Investigator Training
Services 1-5 | Services 11-15 | Program Index

6. Creation of a New Bullying-Prevention Policy with Enforcement Procedures
Employers traditionally create policies to proscribe negative conduct when laws compel them. However, 75% of harassment is legal -- the kind that is not "status-based." Bullying is "status-blind" and ignores race, gender, age, disability, and religion as its primary cause. Policies do not exist to address Bullying. It is the most general form of harassment, rendered "invisible" because of its current legality.

A good Policy is the cornerstone of a civil workplace. It sends the right message that destructive interpersonal misconduct is no way to run a successful, sustainable business in the long run. It ensures prevention of bullying.

Therefore, this activity is the centerpiece of The Work Doctor® Blueprint for a Bullying-Free Workplace Program. It typically takes two to three days to accomplish, depending on the size of the designated internal writing group. We suggest assembling a diverse Policy-writing group with representatives from human resources, risk management, legal, unions, non-supervisory employees, and management. The group is to be granted authority to execute the Policy and Enforcement procedures created.

We lead the group through a proprietary design process to create the Policy with Enforcement procedures. The Bullying Policy becomes either a separate policy or is integrated with existing violence and harassment policies. Our unique and in-depth expertise enables us to anticipate pitfalls that sabotage other initiatives. Our involvement with legal aspects of bullying also assures Clients of satisfactory compliance with future government regulations.

There are three Results:
a. An internal Policy to specifically address Workplace Bullying, either as a stand-alone code or one that expands existing codes and policies.

b. Enforcement is the set of Complaint-Response-Remedy procedures that implement the Policy. Personal and organizational accountability will result. Creating these procedures poses the greatest challenge. It is imperative that the Policy be applied throughout the organization without exception in order to be effective and credible.

c. Planning the Organizational Rollout/Introduction of the Policy and Enforcement procedures.
Because Policies without Enforcement fail, we do not offer a Policy-only service.

New! 6.5 Policy Writing Group™ for Small-Medium Organizations
An affordable, intensive 2-day program that stops Workplace Bullying designed especially for small and medium-size businesses and organizations.


7. Education & Training in New Policy & Enforcement Procedures
As soon as possible after the new Policy is created, rollout to all employees should begin. Employees will know about its creation and expect to learn how to use it. Organizations have two options to educate all employees about Workplace Bullying, their new anti-bullying Policy, and procedural Enforcement steps.

Option A. Work Doctor presenters can deliver on-site 60-90 minute education sessions to groups of any size.

Option B. Work Doctor trains internal educators. Client is then responsible for training & dissemination -- both Trainer Certification and Licensing required. The Train-the-Trainer immersion training agenda includes: (a) Multi-modular, in-depth, interactive learning about the etiology of workplace bullying and its impact, (b) Coverage of relevant research, (c) Modeling the ideal presentation, (d) Rehearsal by participants, and (e) Evaluation and coaching of trainers prior to Certification.

Time required for Trainer Certification depends on the size of the trainer group (1-5 trainers takes 3 days; 6-10 takes 4 days; 11-20 takes 5 days). The fee includes training & coaching, presentation materials, The Bully At Work book for trainers, DVD film clips, and CD-ROM. The Client must use only Certified trainers and subscribe to a renewable licensing agreement with a fee based on number of employees.

8. Specialty Education for Professionals
Work Doctor® advanced training for professionals who play a special role in the prevention and correction of Workplace Bullying that supplements all-hands introductory education. Specialty groups include:
- Managers and Supervisors

- Human Resources and Anti-Discrimination Officers

- Employee Assistance counselors

- Safety and Organizational Health Officers

9. Coaching for Internal Investigations of Alleged Bullying Incidents
Work Doctor consultants will coach internal investigators responding to complaints alleging mistreatment that disrupts work. We bring forensic experience as well as extensive knowledge about organizational behavior coupled with an unmatched expertise in conduct exhibited by perpetrator, complainants and witnesses. Employers are ultimately responsible for correcting identified problems and holding offenders accountable. Work Doctor coaches and trains internal experts; we do not gather information nor make action recommendations.

Read a more thorough description.

10. Training of Internal Fact Finders/Investigators
Work Doctor consultants train internal (often peer) investigators to adjudicate alleged anti-bullying Policy violations that differ from traditional harassment cases. Investigators are carefully recruited and screened. The 2-day program includes a copy of the book The Bully At Work and a workbook for each trained individual.

Unbiased discovery and decision techniques are taught that complement traditional discrimination, harassment and human rights complaint investigation skills. Training agenda includes: (a) Understanding the Bullied Complainant, (b) Anticipating Respondents in an Investigation, (c) Natural Investigator (Cognitive) Biases & How to Defeat Them, (d) Flawed Decision Making, and (e) Innovative Remedies.






Legal Disclaimer

© 2008 Work Doctor, Inc. unless otherwise indicated.
Work Doctor ® is a federally registered & protected servicemark