As we move through elementary school, middle school, high school, college and eventually into a job, many of us assume that we have experienced or witnessed the last of bullying somewhere in between the middle-high school years and maybe a little in college. This assumption would be wrong and this can negatively impact our mental health. Bullying continues so far beyond middle school that men and women of all ages are experiencing bullying in the workplace environment. The below graph shows just how prevalent workplace bullying is, and the Healthy Workplace Campaign could put an end to it.
The campaign for state-by-state anti-bullying laws in the workplace began in 2001, and the text for the Healthy Workplace Bill was drafted by Suffolk University Professor of Law David Yamada. After the introduction of the bill in California in 2003, the first of several HWB affiliated groups was formed. Groups began forming all over the United States and from then on this grassroots campaign has worked. State coordinators are the lifeblood of the campaign. They are voting residents of their state who convince their state representatives and senators about how important the Healthy Workplace Bill is. These volunteers argue for the bill to be enacted and they mobilize other people in their community to get involved and they contact elected officials with their stories and pleas to support the bill.
Gary Namie, the national director of The Healthy Workplace Campaign, has successfully been able to spread this campaign across the United States. When the campaign gains new volunteers, or state coordinators, they are provided with extensive materials about being a coordinator, along with education and personalized lobbying materials. These coordinators then set out to gather volunteers and are free to revise any talking points they think would make them more persuasive in their argument about the bill with state officials.
The coordinators do not donate money to the campaign, yet they are extraordinarily effective. Because they are trained well in the beginning, they are able to:
- Educate lawmakers all year long
- Orchestrate Lobbying Days at the Capitol
- Testify at hearings
- Talk to the press
- Represent the movement as voters in their respective states
- Maintain websites, facebook pages and blogs
- Organize events during our annual Freedom From Workplace Bullies week
Wow! This is so helpful.
This article really helped me realize that bullying is happening in the workplace and that it is a problem in today’s society. I also think that the campaign shows a good strategy of using opinion leaders to get other people on board and to listen. This campaign also shows the need to know your talking points and how effective one person can be. I think that the Healthy Workplace Campaign will continue to be successful as long as they know there talking points and target audience.
Bullying is definitely happening in the professional world and I’m glad this post brought the issue to your attention! You bring up a good point about how important talking points are when dealing with an campaign like this. The opinion leaders are driving the campaign with the statements they make so what they say to their audience is crucial.