CENTER TWP — Workplace bullying is becoming more prevalent and an impending state law could hold employers liable for not having anti-bullying policies.

“Bullying among older adults is on the rise. Virtually every workplace experiences some level of bullying at one time or another,” said Gloria Armstrong, medical advocate specialist with Victims Outreach Intervention Center (VOICe) in Butler County. “If we as a nation don’t start addressing this, we’re going to be facing liability issues in the workplace.”

Armstrong made her presentation on bullying Wednesday afternoon at a special workshop at Newhaven Court at Clearview. She spoke to business owners and representatives about the importance of recognizing workplace bullying and the potential impact of it on their employees and their businesses.

According to statistics by the U.S. Department of Labor, nearly 2 million workers report workplace violence each year, while the fourth leading cause of fatal occupational injuries is homicide.

Armstrong, along with Courtney Riffer, VOICe director of education, created the bullying program in 2013 after they were asked by an organization to discuss workplace bullying. Armstrong said it’s not unusual now to talk with individuals or organizations feeling the affects of office bullying.

“They come to us because they know it’s going on. They’re not sure how to resolve it, and they’re looking for a resource to be able to support them moving forward and coming up with an anti-bullying policy,” she said.

Legislation introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2015 could hold an employer liable for enabling a health-harming, abusive work environment. Pennsylvania was one of 11 states last year that introduced anti-bullying bills.

Armstrong said often bullying exists in the workplace because it’s being tolerated by management.

“It exists in environments where it is allowed to continue,” she said. “So that puts the responsibility back on us as employers and employees.”

A hostile work environment is one in which an employee feels afraid to go to work, feels threatened by physical violence, feels threatened by harassment, or feels threatened with retaliation for whistle-blowing,

Armstrong said she makes businesses and employees aware of the Pennsylvania Whistleblower Law, which provides protection for employees who witness or have evidence of wrongdoing while employed and who report the wrongdoing to a superior.

An individual who is a bully as a child in school is often an adult bully in the workplace. She said that workplace bullies use manipulation and control because it allows them to get what they want from a coworker.

“Why does it exist? Because it works, and if somebody doesn’t stop them, it’s going to continue,” she said.

There are two types of bullying: Direct and indirect. Direct bullying is when the bully confronts the victim face-to-face with hitting, kicking, name-calling or rude comments in public. Indirect bullying is action that the bully does behind the victim’s back, including spreading gossip, writing insulting comments on social media or organizing peer groups to ostracize an individual.

In addition to liability issues, Armstrong said businesses with a bully issue also will have to contend with increased absenteeism, lower productivity, unmet quotas, increased medical expenses, increased sick leave, higher turnover rates and, as a result, increased training.

In light of all of these consequences, Armstrong said businesses seriously should consider creating an official anti-bullying workplace policy.

Such a policy should include rules in writing for unacceptable workplace behavior and the consequences for that behavior. The employer should post signs about the anti-bullying policy and should educate the staff about the rules and consequences.

While workplace bullying has been around for years, Armstrong said, awareness is the key to eliminating any kind of negative behavior.

“I look back on my own work history and bullying has been going on for a long time. But awareness encourages people to speak out about it because then they know that there’s a resource available to help them recognize what the next steps are in their emotional and physical safety in the workplace,” she said.

“I hope employees feel safe enough to come forward with a bullying situation that they encounter. Employers and employees alike need to know that they don’t have to be alone in trying to figure out how to address these issues — VOICe can help them through that process.”