Hi and Thank you for subscribing to our “Workplace Tidbits” Newsletter here at JudithMunson.com.

We are archiving past issues of the newsletters for your convenience.

By all means though, if you haven’t yet subscribed and you want to get all the latest news about a variety of workplace issues, fill out the form in the sidebar on the right and subscribe to “Workplace Tidbits” right now. It’s totally free and your information is kept completely confidential.

In these newsletters we will be bringing up to date, pertinent information on a wide range of issues that people encounter in their workplaces.

We will also include solutions to a wide variety of intimidation tactics that we have uncovered through our research.

Without a doubt, intimidation, bullying and mobbing are a large problem not only in the U.S. but worldwide.

We look forward to the day when there are laws in place which protect the victims of workplace bullying and mobbing.

Everyone deserves a workplace that is safer and a more desireable place to spend time at every day.

Thanks again for your subscription,

Judith Munson

judith_munson@yahoo.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Workplace Tidbits Issue #1 – September 2009

In this issue I will be giving you a partial outline of the things I will be covering in my newsletters as we go along. We will also be covering as many workplace issues and solutions as we possibly can.

In this first newsletter I’m going to go into workplaces in general, the types of people that work there and how these differences can work either with you or against you.

In subsequent issues, I’ll be covering the different types of workplace behaviors such as:

* Workplace Bullies, is there more than one type? Do we need to put up with them or can we make it stop?

* Workplace mobbing, how does this get started and what can be done to stop it?

* Workplace verbal abuse, Do we really have to put up with it so we won’t lose our job in this down economy?

* Workplace intimidation, does this really keep us under control as workers, or is there a better way?

As you can see there are a lot of different subject matters that can and will be discussed  in this newsletter.  I’d like to encourage you to reply to any of these letters with your questions or dilemmas so that I can help you with them.

Workplaces and their differences

If you just take a moment to consider the variety of workplaces we have and the variety of jobs that need to be done in them you will just be astonished with the scope of it all.

There are health care jobs, manufacturing jobs, office jobs, outside jobs, inside jobs and if you think about the sheer numbers of it long enough, it just gets to be overwhelming.

Now, realize that there are a lot of different personalities that occupy these jobs which really makes the workplace issues come to life.

Not only are there the pressures of getting the work done but then the workers personalities come into play as well which can lead to volatile situations if left uncontrolled.

There are some common characteristics with each type of person that exhibits disruptive workplace behavior. Through recognizing these characteristics we can create a game plan that will bring about the changes needed to get that bully or mobber under control and finally give some much needed relief to the workplace.

In my next newsletter I will go into the workplace bully’s different behaviors and what to do about them.

Till then, be safe out there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Workplace Tidbits Issue #2 – October 2009

Hello again!  Welcome to the 2nd issue of Workplace Tidbits.

In this issue we will be covering the workplace bullies behavior and what you can do about it.

It’s important to realize that changing a bully is rarely an option.

The best way to deal with them and to retain your sanity is to know that ahead of time.

It’s like marrying someone with a bad habit. You figure once you’re married you can change that person’s behavior. Chances are that’s not going to happen. A person has to want to change.

It is the same with a bully. He does not see his behavior as destructive. He sees it as a means to get what he wants because, after all, that’s what he is all about.

You have two choices in how you handle these types of individuals. You can react or respond to them.

If you react, you will allow yourself to get upset, be fearful, or act in some way that l gives the bully the upper hand forwhich he is striving.

If, however, you respond, you are acknowledging that you know what he is doing, that his behavior is not acceptable, and you won’t put up with it.

You are demonstrating your willingness to find a solution to the problem instead of bending to the bully’s treatment.

The emotional affects on the individual being bullied or attacked can be numerous.

The depth of pain a person feels when being bullied is sometimes so deep that it is hard to articulate what they are feeling – even to a professional psychologist.

Some of these stressful feelings can be;

• Confusion – What did I do?
• Anxiety – Why me?
• Fear – Will it happen again ?
• Anger for not sticking up for yourself
• Poor concentration – forgetfulness
• Insomnia
• Panic attacks
• Trust issues in and out of work

In our next newsletter we will point out some more of what these workplace bullies are up to and how you can combat their behavior.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Workplace Tidbits Issue #3 – November 2009

In the last issue we covered the workplace bullies behavior and some of what you can do about it.

In this issue I’d like to start from the beginning which is the actual job interview process.

In the interview process there are a few things I’d like to point out that may help you avoid accepting a position with a company that has a toxic atmosphere.

If you’ve ever worked for a place where people have no respect for each other, who ignore you, insult you in front of others and worse, then here are a couple of things to watch for to help you make a decision.

Keep in mind, the interview is a two way street. You have the right to ask your questions of them also.

Be Observant

A suggestion that might help you avoid this type of company is to listen carefully when you are interviewing.

You may have a potential problem ahead if your prospective manager only uses phrases such as follows:

• “We are looking for people who will be dedicated to getting the job done.”
• “There is a lot of work to be done, but the person committed to our mission is the one who will go far.
• “We expect extra hours when necessary.”
• “A real company man’s/woman’s family understands what it takes to succeed in a career.”

These phrases seem reasonable initially.

However, listen carefully to what is not being said. If you don’t also hear phrases such as these:

• “We feel it is important to balance work and a personal life.”
• “While we have peak workload periods that will require some extra hours, we try to be reasonable in our expectations.”
• “We care about your family and though we stay really busy with the project, we don’t sacrifice them for the job.”

Don’t let your enthusiasm or desperate need for a job clog your ears. Listen with wisdom. (excerpted from Alligators in the Water Cooler: A Guide to Identifying Bullies & Their Buddies in the Workplace, by Judith E. Munson, to be released December 2009)

Another suggestion is to pay close attention to the interviewer(s) body language. Is he making eye contact with you or is he looking everywhere else except at you.

That’s a sign of deceitfulness. If your gut is telling you this job may not be right for you…listen to it.

In our next issue we’ll take a look at some of the way’s people have learned to heal themselves after leaving a toxic workplace environment.

Till next time be well and as Zig Ziglar said “They can’t get your goat if they don’t know where it’s tied up.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Workplace Tidbits Issue #4 – December 2009

This has been an exciting month and it’s not even half over.

Christmas is just around the corner and this is the time of year to reflect and give thanks for all you have been blessed with.

In the last issue I discussed things to look for during the interview process to help you avoid going to work for a company that has a toxic environment.

In this issue, I’m going to share with you some things you can do to start healing yourself from being bullied, mobbed or harassed by co-workers or your boss.

As with any traumatic situation, we all experience a loss of some sort. In most cases we experience loss of self- respect, and the ability to work as before in a secure environment without being bullied. This process is called The Five Steps of Loss:

1. Denial: You do not believe this is happening or has happened to you.

2. Anger: You are angry at yourself for not seeing it coming or for sticking up for yourself. You are also angry at your employer for not doing something about it, and worse yet, for not believing you about it.

3. Bargaining: You try to bargain with the bully. You think it will get him off your back if you are nice to him by saying what he wants to hear or by doing what he wants you to do even if it is beyond reasonable. What you have done is give the bully more power over you because you have now demonstrated you will do anything to make this stop.

4. Depression: The bully will not stop. No one understands what is taking place and your family and friends are tired of hearing you complain about this person. You have no one to talk to and you find yourself withdrawing from life.

5. Acceptance: The final step you have accepted the fact that this has happened to you and you’ve realized this is not your fault. In order to remedy the situation, some form of action has to take place on your part. You can wish all you want that the situation gets better, but if you don’t take some form of action, it will remain the same.

Putting yourself first is of utmost importance.

Seek help from your family physician. If you don’t have one, go to a low-cost or free clinic. If you are experiencing abdominal pain, severe headaches, and more, get medical help immediately. By doing so you get the treatment you need and you have started a paper trail of evidence should you need it in the future.

Keep records of what is being said at work, where, when, time and who was present during this conversation. Keep this in a locked drawer at work or take it home with you every night.

Keep a personal journal at home of how you are feeling, what took place that day or each day. It’s important to journal your feelings and as you grow stronger you can look back and see how far you’ve come.

Support groups are helpful, but I caution you to find one that fits your needs and isn’t a continuous “pity party”.

Surround yourself with things that are appealing to your senses including good friends, and family. Take care of yourself…

In our next issue we’ll continue with more healing processes as we start of the New Year.

Till next time, Merry Christmas from my family to yours.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Workplace Tidbits Newsletter
All About Workplace Mobbing
March 2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
in this issue
– Workplace Mobbing How To Avoid The Effects Of It
– Workplace Mobbing Can Be Very Unhealthy
– What Other Kinds Of Intimidation Are There?

Dear Judi64,

Welcome to this edition of the Workplace Tidbits Newsletter from Judith Munson, your premier authority for all types of workplace intimidation.

In this issue of Workplace Tidbits I will be discussing the subject of workplace mobbing, what it is and the effects it can have on both your mental and physical health.

Workplace Mobbing How To Avoid The Effects Of It
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have been in the workforce very long you may have been the target of workplace mobbing in one form or another. This can be in the form of a few people that disagree with another’s workplace habits all the way up to where there is outright conflict between two or more workers against one individual, hence the term workplace mobbing.

These mobbing situations vary widely along with the remedies that will turn a workplace from being extremely toxic to one of cooperation and productivity. A target of workplace mobbing is generally female, shy or introverted and one that does not want to cause any waves or report anything to their superiors because of the fear of retaliation. The people that engage in workplace mobbing against one of their fellow co-workers are usually lead by one person who is a stronger personality and follow along so as not to be the target of this mobbing themselves. There is power in numbers and if one person can get one or more others to follow their lead the damages can be significant.

Read on…

Workplace Mobbing Can Be Very Unhealthy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Workplace mobbing can be a particularly unhealthy environment to be in especially if you are the target of the mob and its leader. It can lead to not only psychological problems but actual physical ones as well. There is a much higher stress level involved with being the victim or even friend of a victim which is extremely unhealthy and can cause all kinds of physical ailments such as persistent headaches, stiff necks, manic depression and even cancer and heart attacks.

If you find yourself the target of this type of workplace harassment you need to take it to your upper management, HR department and immediate supervisor to put an immediate stop to it. Your psychological and physical health depend on it. Our workplaces are stressful enough without the addition of being bullied by a bunch of other people wanting to be a part of the bully’s group.

Read More About Workplace Mobbing Here…

What Other Kinds Of Intimidation Are There?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the Workplace Tidbits Newsletter we are striving to give you cutting edge, up to the minute latest information about any and all types of workplace bullying, intimidation, verbal abuse and harassment. Look for future newsletters on different workplace subjects and keep informed from the experts. Judith Munson has been involved with helping companies and employees to become the happy productive workplaces that are required to be competitive in today’s working environment.

A milestone for employees and employers alike

On March 18, 2010 in the state of Illinois the first bill for making it against the law to bully, intimidate, mob or bring harm or illness to another person in the workplace has passed the Senate by a vote of 35-17. This bill was sponsored by Senator William Delgado.  It will now move forward to the House Rules Committee.

Many states have tried to get a bill before their legislature and some have gotten close, but then have fallen short of their goal.  This is a milestone for the state of Illinois and it gives them and the rest of the U.S. hope for passing similar bills in each state.

This is the time to contact your senators, congressman and anyone else you can think of that would sponsor such a bill and get more states to get on board. As Dr. Gary Namie of the Workplace Bullying Institute in Bellingham, WA has stated, “work shouldn’t hurt.” With laws to protect employees and employers, perhaps the abuse will stop.

If you would like to see how the bill was authored, please go to www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09600SB3566 .

If you have questions please feel free to contact me, Judith Munson @ judith_munson@yahoo.com or by phone:  530-873-6159