The introduction of the anti-bullying legislation in the Fair Work Commission acknowledges the incidence and impact of workplace bullying. Many workers feel the Fair Work Commission is their Emerald City, a magical solution to deal with a workplace bully. In fact, it is the opposite. Most cases are not heard and the onus is on the worker to prove she’s being bullied, creating further burden.
Image by Insomnia Cured Here via Flickr.
This series of five articles has been designed to prevent and minimise the impact of workplace bullying. They provide information on workplace rights, self-care suggestions and tips to help workers handle a workplace bully.
In Dorothy versus The Emerald City we follow Dorothy as she embarks on a journey along the Yellow Brick Road to get to the Emerald City – what we commonly call the Fair Work Commission. It’s the magical land where bullies get stomped on. Or is it?
Everyone keeps telling Dorothy to stop fretting and go find a place where she can stay out of trouble. Lucky for us, in Dorothy Finds Her Brain, we find out that Dorothy is smart enough to know better.
Now that Dorothy has found her brain, it’s time to take action and say #BullyBeGone. In Dorothy Uses Her Brain we find a treasure chest of tools designed to put the bully back where they belong.
In Dorothy versus Herself it’s time to ditch the baggage and break free of the shackles of her workplace bully. The key? Compassion.
In our final article, Audacious Dorothy finds herself. With the help of friends Dorothy realises she had what she needed all along.
The legislation that affects your situation depends on where you work, which state you’re in and what industrial instrument you operate under. It gets complicated and confusing. That’s why we’ve developed these articles as an intervention, designed to support workers before their situation reaches a critical point. This is crucial, as many workers only seek help when the bullying has escalated to a point where the situation is no longer tenable.
We think Australian women deserve better than that.
Image by Cured By Insomnia via Flickr.