Bullying / victimisation
Join Date: Jul 2003
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Fortunately I've not seen it very often at any ATSU I have worked at.
Before this thread goes much further, I have worked at several units over the years, the only, supposed, incident of bullying, was when a trainee did not receive the glowing reports they felt they deserved.
I am not for one minute saying this is the case ,as in the one reported , but come on; there are always two sides to the story.
ATC was never a profession for the meek.
If it can't be sorted, face to face, then you are in the wrong job.
Before this thread goes much further, I have worked at several units over the years, the only, supposed, incident of bullying, was when a trainee did not receive the glowing reports they felt they deserved.
I am not for one minute saying this is the case ,as in the one reported , but come on; there are always two sides to the story.
ATC was never a profession for the meek.
If it can't be sorted, face to face, then you are in the wrong job.
Join Date: Aug 2008
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I agree. Bullying undoubtedly does affect people and that is not fair. But in my opinion bullying only affects the weak of mind. I can't imagine anything every being sai dto me that I would not dismiss or retort straight away.
ATCO's and the like are generally thick skinned and People who have brought grievances against people in my working life have clearly not been. Not saying that Bullyiing doesn't exist, of course it does, but i believe you can sort it yourself before needing to go through proper channels.
ATCO's and the like are generally thick skinned and People who have brought grievances against people in my working life have clearly not been. Not saying that Bullyiing doesn't exist, of course it does, but i believe you can sort it yourself before needing to go through proper channels.
Join Date: Oct 2005
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I was sitting in the sim the other day in a country where english is a second language. Part way through an exercise I had to freeze as my student started to smirk and struggled to suppress a chuckle! There was a kafuffle across the room from a member of a another course during which a young female student was being aggressivly and loudly "debriefed " by her instructor (old retired type instructor ). As it was not in english I asked my student to translate . In a nutshell you wouldnt want to know what was said. Even Gordon Ramskin would have been lost for words!! To say it was inappropriate is putting it mildly. Bullying? Certainly. Retort? No chance. Although officially, the "culture" of 30 years ago that had helped create this type of instructional technique(?) / attitude of the instructor ,was no longer sanctioned, no one was enforcing this on staff members. Ego not empathy was still the Go! I asked a colleague (local) whether this type of behaviour should be bought up to management. He looked at me as though I was mad. We dont "grass" on anyone here he said!!
And they wonder why their failure rate is so high
DogGone
And they wonder why their failure rate is so high
DogGone
Join Date: Nov 2005
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...bullying only affects the weak of mind.
Turning to the original request for constructive comment and help:
1. Begin keeping a diary of dates and times of these bullying events; it's not necessary to record 'chapter-and-verse', just a brief resume and details of anyone else who might have been present.
2. Consult your union representative.
3. Discuss and agree with your union representative, invoking your company's grievance procedure; if the bullying is by your line manager, then the process begins with his/her line manager - but you need first to make 'best efforts' to discuss it with him/her.
4. If you're not in a union you can get advice from the CAB or GATCO's legal advice line (if you're a member) and there are also some very useful links on the Dept. of Employment's website.
Good luck! And ignore the rantings of ignorant and insensitive people like Caesartheboogeyman.
I am with airac above - and with CAP493's "item 3, sub-section"! The obvious step is often overlooked. Raise the point with the person concerned, in private, but fairly formally and seriously but without being aggressive. Point out your perception of events and how you feel - after all, it is always possible that you might receive an apology and part the best of friends. Bearing in mind that there are always two sides to any dispute, the other party might well feel somewhat aggrieved (regardless of what has transpired) if you go directly to more formal action without bothering to take this step.
Join Date: Dec 2007
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I can only quote from the military side having seen this as a manager. That said, I suspect civil procedures are quite similar.
Firstly, make sure that you are as objective as possible in you evidence gathering. Ultimately you will get into some form of "He said, she said" type argument.
If you don't feel you can challenge the individual head-on, go to your unit Equal Opportunities Advisor. They are well trained, selected for their attributes and, importantly, are completely trustworthy.
Decide what outcome you want. It is pointless making a complaint if you don't want a particular resolution. I had one young lady who just wanted me to know she was being harassed; she didn't want me to do anything about it. In my mind, that is not good enough.
Respect the bully's anonymity. If you want to remain anonymous, so should they.
Don't dwell on things.
Make sure someone (the EO advisor?) thoroughly explains the procedure - you need to understand it. Proone is not definitive.
Good luck.
Firstly, make sure that you are as objective as possible in you evidence gathering. Ultimately you will get into some form of "He said, she said" type argument.
If you don't feel you can challenge the individual head-on, go to your unit Equal Opportunities Advisor. They are well trained, selected for their attributes and, importantly, are completely trustworthy.
Decide what outcome you want. It is pointless making a complaint if you don't want a particular resolution. I had one young lady who just wanted me to know she was being harassed; she didn't want me to do anything about it. In my mind, that is not good enough.
Respect the bully's anonymity. If you want to remain anonymous, so should they.
Don't dwell on things.
Make sure someone (the EO advisor?) thoroughly explains the procedure - you need to understand it. Proone is not definitive.
Good luck.
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Speaking as one who was accused of bullying
Every case is different. Briefly, in my case, I felt it desparately unfair, I had tried hard to help the person concerned who had performance capability issues, and was utterly unaware that this was being taken as bullying. I still find it hard to understand. The complaint - the very first complaint - was made in the form of a legal letter. There was no attempt at any informal resolution. The result - I resigned immediately because I felt utterly overwhelmed and destroyed. The other person got a small settlement in the end - largely because companies really dread going to tribunals (time consuming, costly, and the outcome is uncertain) - and also left the company. In effect everyone lost.
Different place, different industry, different circumstances. But my point is this. Raise the matter with the person concerned, or if you understandably would rather not, then do so with HR. They will take it seriously. Companies are very concerned to nip this in the bud because the payouts can be very very high if they don't.
A formal complaint will lead to an investigation - which may be the only solution, but is likely to be pretty distressing for you and people around you (who may be questioned in the investigation). Assuming the complaint is upheld, disciplinary action for gross misconduct (and therefore potentially summary dismissal) is a likely outcome for the person accused of bullying. Do it if you have to, but do try to make it your last resort and see if you can resolve the problem less formally.
Different place, different industry, different circumstances. But my point is this. Raise the matter with the person concerned, or if you understandably would rather not, then do so with HR. They will take it seriously. Companies are very concerned to nip this in the bud because the payouts can be very very high if they don't.
A formal complaint will lead to an investigation - which may be the only solution, but is likely to be pretty distressing for you and people around you (who may be questioned in the investigation). Assuming the complaint is upheld, disciplinary action for gross misconduct (and therefore potentially summary dismissal) is a likely outcome for the person accused of bullying. Do it if you have to, but do try to make it your last resort and see if you can resolve the problem less formally.
