Dr Kirsten Way

October 2014

Workers’ Compensation Regulator

Return to Work after

Workplace Bullying

Webinar Presenter: Dr Kirsten Way

Kirsten Way is an Organisational Psychologist, Occupational

Therapist and Certified Professional Ergonomist with over 15 years

experience in:

- worker and group-level psychology affect on WHS

- WHS organisational management

Kirsten is recognised both internationally and within Australia for her

specific expertise in workplace bullying, work-related mental health,

workplace stress, human factors and ergonomics.

Workers’ Compensation Regulator

Webinar overview

• Contextual statistics

• What is and isn’t workplace bullying? (and does it matter?)

• What makes bullying unique for return to work?

• Principles for practice

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Audience profile - Industry

Poll Question 1:

What industry do you work in? (please use Poll on your right)

• Accommodation and Food Services

• Administration and Support Services

• Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

• Construction

• Education and Training

• Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services

• Financial and Insurance Services

• Healthcare and Social Assistance

• Information Media and Telecommunications

• Manufacturing

• Mining

• Other Services

• Professional Scientific and Technical Services

• Public Administration and Safety

• Rental, Hiring and Real-estate

• Retails Trade

• Transport, Postal and Warehousing

• Wholesale Trade

• Other

4

5

Health Care and Social Assistance

Public Administration

and Safety

Education and Training

Retail Trade

Big Four Industries for Bullying

Prevalence - Claims data

Prevalence – Self-report

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Way, Jimmieson, Bordia & Hepworth, (2013).

Your experience with RTW and bullying

Poll Question 2:

What do you think is the overall return to work rate for

bullying?

• less than 20%

• 21-40%

• 41-60%

• 61-80%

• 81-100%7

Fit for Work - Bullying

Return to Work Statistics Overall Bullying

Overall RTW rate 96.7%

Same job/tasks with same employer 93.4%

Same job/tasks with different employer 0.7%

Different job/tasks with same employer 0.7%

Different job/tasks with different employer 1.9%

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84.2%

68.6%

4.5%

3.3%

7.8%

Comparable Scheme Statistics

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Comparable scheme statistics for all

psychological injuries and physical

injuries are available in our annual

statistics report on the regulator

website.

Visit:

http://www.qcomp.com.au/news-

publications/statistical-reports.aspx

See figure 33, page 37 of the latest

report.

What is workplace bullying?

1. Repeated

2. Unreasonable behaviour

3. Directed towards a worker or group of workers

4. That creates a risk to health and safety.

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What isn’t workplace bullying:

• A single incident of unreasonable behaviour

• Reasonable management action taken in a reasonable way

• Workplace conflict

• Discrimination and sexual harassment

• Violence – assault or threats of assault.

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Does it matter if it meets the definition when it

comes to Return to Work?

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A real example…

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What makes bullying unique for Return to Work?

14Okimoto & Wenzel, 2014

How to Navigate Through

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The tripartite perspective on intragroup

reconciliation

Okimoto & Wenzel, 201416

VICTIM

CONCERN

ORGANISATIONAL CONCERN

OFFENDER

CONCERN

Social Order/ Value Consensus

Intragroup Reconciliation

Victim Reintegration

Offender

Moral Repair

Victim Empowerment

Offender Reintegration

Some principles for practice

• Be clear on purpose– as early as possible

E.g. Talk to worker about aim of RTW same employer/role

• Manage expectations and boundaries– What aspects are within Return to Work scope?

– Realistic preview of process and outcomes

– Awareness raising of Return to Work Coordinator (Coordinators) role versus

role of others

– Constant reinforcement of role and purpose throughout process.

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Boundary Management skills

• Open communication about boundaries

– Inform that not going to take sides

– Inform of neutrality and natural justice

• Conscious monitoring of boundaries

• Use observation skills

• Summarization

• Refer to operational policies and rocedures

• Use ‘We’ not ‘I’.

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Some principles for practice

• Understand the context and actively change it where

possible

– Think in levels – individuals, team, organisational

– Think of work design and management

• Dealing with emotion

• Closure or finalising cases

• Know when to seek expert help.19

Systems Theory

• Can’t observe a system without influencing it and

therefore becoming part of it.

• Importance of monitoring this:

– Boundary management

– Discussing complex cases with confidential support persons

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Are you aware of what pushes your buttons?

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The role of third-parties

What is third-party stakeholder help?

• A specific CMS of actively involving a third-party in a

dispute (Giebels and Janssen, 2005).

• Promotes accurate information processing, by:– clarifying the real issues at stake

– setting out procedures to manage conflict

– helping parties have sense of control over the process and outcomes of

their disputes (Arnold and O’Connor, 1999).

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Why is it important?

Buffers the effect of conflict-related stressors on

well-being.

(Ting-Toomey and Oetzel (2001) Giebels and Janssen (2005))

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Remember this?

Okimoto & Wenzel, 2014

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VICTIM

CONCERN

ORGANISATIONAL CONCERN

OFFENDER

CONCERN

Social Order/ Value Consensus

Intragroup Reconciliation

Victim Reintegration

Offender

Moral Repair

Victim Empowerment

Offender Reintegration

Resources

• Visit www.worksafe.qld.gov.au

– National Guide for preventing and responding to workplace bullying

– Dealing with workplace bullying – a worker’s guide

– Workplace bullying information tool

– People at Work project

– Work-related stress tip sheets

– Resolve at Work rehabilitation providers

• Phone Info-line 1300 369 915

• Sign up for free eNEWS email subscription service 26

Resources Continued…

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• Visit http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/fair-and-safe-work/workers-

compensation-and-rehabilitation

– Scheme information

– Useful resources, forms and publications

• Visit www.facebook.com/RRTWCnetwork/

– Resources and immediate updates

• Visit www.workcoverqld.com.au for information on the Remain at

Work Program

Return to Work Coordinator community

Like us on Facebook at RRTWCnetwork 28

And finally…

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