If we were able to travel back to early civilizations, we would likely discover harassment has been part of the workplace since the beginning of time. Despite the progress made to eradicate workplace harassment, stories continue to arise of egregious behaviour.
Recently four workers at a Lincoln Nebraska GameStop walked off the job due to an abusive regional director. If you missed the story, you can read it here. This is the second GameStop location within this director’s territory to have its workers pursue job action. What’s missing from the coverage is the fate of this director; after two store walkouts and repeated reported cases of verbal abuse you would assume its perpetrator would be fired. Sadly, GameStop might view this director as a great motivator and its front-line employees as simply replaceable.
There is no room for abusive behaviour in the modern workplace. A great leader who can inspire their team has been proven to experience far greater success than a person who rules through fear and belittlement. I’ve worked in some toxic work environments in which I’ve been told a “monkey could do my job”, been verbally abused, and was in constant fear of being fired. Obviously, none of these companies got the best from their employees as most were busy looking for new jobs instead of giving their professional all. That said, nothing compares to my mother’s stories of working in the tech industry during the 80’s and 90’s and we are living in a virtual paradise compared to the sexist and racist era of the previous generation. When I hear these terrible tales, I realize that, although great progress has been made to working conditions, there is still a long way to go.
I feel fortunate to work at a progressive company that puts great emphasis on diversity and the creation of a welcoming work environment. During a recent workplace harassment training session (which was the inspiration for this article) I learned that junior workers, employees who work long hours or are at the lower end of the pay scale are more likely to suffer abuse. These workers may be marginalized or too fearful of losing their job to speak up, creating a scenario in which abusers can get away with poor behaviour without reprimand. While I’m lucky CarGurus provides attentive HR teams and training to mitigate abusive behaviour, not all workers have similar resources. During times that I have faced abuse the only person to complain to would have been the owner of the company who was often the abuser. If you are in this situation there are people who can help; NABS provides many wonderful services including a mental health hotline (1-888-355-5548) manned by skilled volunteers who can help you work through abusive situations. As well, don’t be afraid to speak up to friends, mentors and other leaders across our industry. There are many people who’ve experienced similar situations that can offer help and recommend a new job to remove you from the toxic environment.
As workers gradually head back to the office, one hopes not to see a slippage in workplace harassment. My fear is that, after two years of working from home, people will have forgotten how to act in an office environment. Poor manners, micro-aggressions, and flat-out abuse will be on the rise. This would be a disappointing development which counteracts decades of slow but steady workplace inclusivity. With strategic foresight, more companies will place greater focus on workplace harassment, stomp out the bad actors and create a more positive environment for all.
Chris Ramey
