Online nonprofit takes on workplace bullying
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When Tom Shannon accepted a job 15 years ago, he expected to raise his family and retire after a long, satisfying career.
But instead, the 51-year-old information technology specialist from Butler County found himself confronted with what he describes as an alcoholic, abusive supervisor who, he said, eventually drove him from his job -- and nearly out of his mind.
"There were days when I didn't think I could make it through the day. It was that bad," said Mr. Shannon, who left his job two years ago after complaints about his supervisor went nowhere.
After years of suffering through drunken outbursts and insults, the stress also took its toll on Mr. Shannon's health, eventually causing him to develop high blood pressure and anxiety.
"If I would have stayed there, I'd be dead by now," said Mr. Shannon, now happily employed by the federal government.
Mr. Shannon's case isn't unique, and he's one of a growing number of people who are willing to testify before state lawmakers about workplace bullying and its consequences.
They are being organized by Washington, Pa., native Gary Namie, who heads the Workplace Bullying Institute, a nonprofit group devoted to resolving the issue.
A 2010 poll commissioned by the WBI and conducted by Zogby International showed that 35 percent of Americans reported being bullied at work; 9 percent said they were currently being bullied and 26 percent said they had experienced workplace bullying in the past.
Once a worker becomes a target of a workplace bully, research shows that person has a six in 10 chance of losing his or her job, Mr. Namie said.
"Forty percent quit and 24 percent get fired," said Mr. Namie. He co-founded the research and education organization that would eventually become the WBI 14 years ago with his wife, Ruth Namie, after she experienced workplace bullying firsthand.
A 1970 graduate of Washington High School and 1974 graduate of Washington & Jefferson College, Mr. Namie met his wife, an Upland, Calif., native, when he moved to California to attend graduate school.
Married in 1983, the couple stayed in California for many years working in the psychology field: Ms. Namie worked as a therapist for chemically dependent people, and her husband was a business consultant.
First Published April 21, 2011 5:49 am
