Green lines, resource people to talk to about harassment, custom sports programs. . . Dutch employers have decided to take the bull by the horns to battle the “punching bag” phenomenon, the reason for many lost working days.
In a country where one out of every ten employees considers him or herself to have been harassed, the arsenal deployed by Dutch firms to prevent workplace bullying has what it takes stem bad behaviour. An article in the French paper Les Echos outlines a series of varied measures. A telecommunications company, for instance, has added new clauses to its internal regulations forbidding racist or sexist remarks, violent conduct, indecent acts, harassment and any form of discrimination against minorities. ING, the banking and insurance giant, which has 35,000 employees in the Netherlands, has chosen to encourage desirable behaviour via information campaigns, and to promote diversity within its ranks to foster openness towards others. A food company has its workers participate in custom sports programs to reduce tensions, and trains its managers to detect precursor signs of irritation between colleagues.
Overly direct working relationships
Other popular measures being implemented by large companies are hotlines to discuss one’s problems anonymously, and the designation of “trustworthy” people that employees who have experienced harassment, intimidation, etc. can confide in. ING has 70 advisors performing these duties. For more serious cases, inquiry commissions have been set up to find compromises or impose disciplinary measures.
“Bullied” workers cost the Dutch community 1.5 billion euros a year. For some, it’s also a cultural issue: according to Seth van den Bossche, a researcher with the TNO think-tank, professional relations are very direct in the Netherlands, compared to other countries where they are much more formal.