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Emotional Torture at Work Place

Emotional torture at work place

 

What is emotional torture or emotional abuse?

Any non physical intentional repeated work related behavior between persons with or without difference of power that has adverse effects on employee’s emotional and mental well-being in the working place.

This is worldwide phenomenon, all because of emotional abuse being a pervasive presence in the workplace. Despite all efforts to encourage a culture of teamwork and promoting harmonious working relationships in the workplace, companies, organization and businesses still face issues on workplace conflicts, decreased productivity, high employee turnover, and in general poor employee satisfaction. Studies show at least 50% people suffer from emotional abuse at their work place in their career. The abuser never left any chance to deliver insults, directly, indirectly or by showing cold body language. They usually call by offensive names and insulting language. They also constantly monitor their schedule and work, try to control, demean and simply demonstrate this superiority over him. They give confusing instruction for work and make them culprit for wrong doing. Sometimes they publicly neglect, humiliate, intimidate.

Examples of mental abuse can include

  • Purposefully failing to provide critical information necessary for the victim to do his job.
  • Interrupting him, ignoring his input and isolating him.
  • Screaming or swearing at the employee in front of others.
  • Sabotaging or obstructing work.
  • Stealing the credit for work the victim performed or becoming impolite for them.
  • Dismissing the legitimate complaints of victims or rewarding bullying behavior with promotions, plum assignments and pay raises.

What are the Factors attributing emotional abuse?

  • Significant changes to business operations, such as workplace restructuring.
  • Inadequate communication between divisions or departments.
  • Failure to consider workers’ opinions and input into policies, account or business.
  • Difficult working situations.
  • High work load.
  • Inadequate or poor skilled staff.
  • Lack of division of roles and responsibilities of employee.
  • Suspiciousness over employee.

Effects of emotional abuse

Emotional abuse among employee is very alarming signs of productivities of organization. It always reduces the out puts, high turnover of staffs, resignation in the organization, people start gossiping and trying to demean each other.  People remain frustrated and feel mentally upset. They remain afraid going to office or find difficulties to facing each other. It has impact on physical as well as mental health. It’s very hard to ease emotional pain, and the scarring can be more permanent. Anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances are very commonly seen among the staffs. They feel low mood, poor self esteem, feelings of inferiority, lack of confidence, incompetent and worthless for their work. They remain afraid and irritated, have poor attention and concentration and frequent mistakes are generally seen in their work.

What is the responsibility of office?

  • Zero tolerance policies for any kind of abuse and managers must follow the policies strictly by documenting. A formal team should be there to handle such cases. The decision should be follow strictly otherwise it gives a bad example among employee and decrease the courage for complain from next time.
  • Regular training of soft skill and official rules and regulation for the employees must be conducting. It should also be mention to handle abusive situations and teach workers to recognize unacceptable behavior rewarding appropriate behavior,
  • The Maintaining an open-door policy and encouraging ethical and responsible teamwork throughout the organization.

What should do to overcome from it?

  • Minimize your anger and keep yourself calm and cool. Usually they provoke and make you feel irritated, that is their approach. Ignorance and showing that nothing has happened or avoidance should be first step for coping the situation.
  • Talk to the abuser directly with confidence and a rational attitude rather than taking to someone about the situation. Make them clear that you are not going to bear it and if it will persist then will take the help of higher authority.
  • Even after proper communication and warning, the abuser doing this persistently, then it is high time to report the matter to higher authority. Matter should be escalated though proper documentation and proper channel. Collect your evidence and witness, if any, to produce in front of authority. Don’t try to make false allegation, it will make you weak and will decrease your confidence to confrontation.
  • Keep yourself strong and confident. Discuss your problems with spouse, family, friends with you have trust. Official gossips will, make you weak and you will feel harassed.

How UDGAM will help in treatment?

It is very common that a person suffers from anxiety or depression during such situation. Take help from psychologist or mental health expert to reduce your anxiety or emotional sufferings. We comprise a dedicated team of mental health professionals who believe that right interventions can bring impactful changes in their life. We have online based programme to manage your problems. We provide quality care, support & multidisciplinary services to achieve this and promote Hope, Health & Happiness.