Compensation Practices and Employee Productivity †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Compensation Practices and Employee Productivity. Answer: Introduction Bullying and harassment are emerging occupational health issue that exists in most of the industries throughout Australia and the world. There are many studies that have been done to explore bullying and harassment as a critical emerging issue in occupational health. Most of the workplace bullying is done by senior or older employees on junior or new employees within the same organization. Some of the commonly manifested bullying and harassment include sexual harassment, discriminatory comments, and threats, unjustifiable complaints and humiliating comments on a fellow worker. Psychological illness and emotional stress are two major reasons why bullying and harassment affect the health of a working person. An example of organization that has involved in investigating workplace bullying and harassment is Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM). The aim of this literature review is to explore bullying and harassment as major cause of psychological illness and emotional stres s among healthcare workers. In the recent past bullying and harassment has been reported as one single source of occupational health risk and hazard that leads to many healthcare practitioners leaving the healthcare for other occupations (Ramsay, Troth Branch, 2010). In order to make a clear understanding of this emerging issue, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) is used as a model organization to unleash aspects of bullying and harassment within the workplace. Similarly, UK studies indicate that more than 38% have been bullied on more than one occasion as compared to more than 42% who have witnessed bullying (Killoren, 2014). Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) is one organization that has also experienced bullying and harassment at healthcare workplace in the past and developed measures to tackle this emerging issue. When tabling the report, it was found that at least 34% of workers within the facility has experienced bullying from senior practitioners. In addition, more than 20% of workers admitted that they have undergone discrimination while 16% harassed as compared another 6.2% that experienced sexual harassment in particular. In response, the organization's management indicated that they are on the verge of developing an action plan with workers aiming to reduce bullying (AAP Staff Writers, 2017). Bullying and harassment within healthcare workplaces are normally manifested within many departments within the healthcare within majority existing between healthcare personnel at the high position and those at the lower level of management. According to Van Uffelen, Wong, and Chau (2010), this occupational health issue is manifested between senior and junior health practitioners. For instance, bullying and harassment within the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) was mainly manifested within the emergency department where they experienced harassment by their colleague in the same department. According to Westgaard and Winkel (2011), there are many causal factors of bullying and harassment within healthcare workplaces. Some of the ways that workplace bullying and harassment have been experienced according to Killoren (2014) are abusive or offensive language or comments, aggressive and intimidating behavior, humiliating comments and unjustified criticism or complaints. Firstly, as for observing at the ACEM facility, older doctors have been using abusive language on younger colleagues hence traumatizing them. Secondly, the aggressive and intimidating behavior is another way that bullying is manifested as reported by Kane (2018). Thirdly, much senior management is continuously making humiliating comments on junior medical practitioners raising alarm on such bullying. Fourthly, as indicated by a study conducted by Kane (2018), unjustified criticism or complaints made on most junior officers contribute largely to most complaints received in Australia courts. The Consequences bullying and harassment within health care workplaces Studies indicate that bullying and harassment are likely to cause harm to many individuals exposed. As cited by Safe Work Australia (2017), bullying causes stress, workplace errors or accidents, physical and psychological illnesses. Firstly, bullying and harassment is the single root cause of many stress within the healthcare workplace leading to poor service delivery at work. As evidenced in ACEM, many emergency doctors explained their predicament and the much stress it has brought on them. Similarly, Deshpande and Joseph (2009) explain that stress due to emotional torture that results from workplace bullying and harassment make healthcare workplace detrimental to patient and doctors. Bullying and harassment affect cause physical and psychological illness among working people. Firstly, a study by Ray (2011) shows psychological illness is resulting from much harassment that many victims have undergone through. As revealed by ACEM, more than 26% of a doctor working in the emergency department has been under psychological torture due to harassment. In addition, psychological illness is also resulting from immense pressure that has a doctor have been subjected to within workplace (Salin Helge, 2010). Secondly, bullying or harassment causes a working person to have emotional stress that is detrimental to the health of an individual and their performance within the organization. Psychological illness has implications on the physical health of a working person especially those that have undergone bullying at the workplace (Rayner Cooper, 2006). Various reports show that bullying has been experienced by a majority of workers at some point in their profession with health care industry topping the list of affected sectors. As indicated by Liefooghe (2012), bullying is currently a major contributor to job dissatisfaction that trend across many profession. For instance, WBI-Zogby survey indicates that 13% of U.S. employees are currently bullied as compared to 24% bullied in the past years. This accounts for over 44% workers that are affected by bullying and harassment in America alone (Ray, 2011). Legislative requirements relating to the bullying and harassment There is legislation that has been put in place to tackle bullying and harassment within the workplace. One example of legislation that is currently used in Australia to control the workplace bullying or harassment is Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and Safe Work Australia regulation of 2014. Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 provides various steps for assessing, managing and minimizing workplace health issues. This implies that the legislation provides measures that every organization is expected to oblige to and is failure attract penalty in the court of law (Hutchinson Hurley, 2013). Under this Act, all organizations such as ACEM are expected to manage risk to the health of employees. One example is Part 3.1:33 indicated that there must be an obligation to manage risk to workplace health risk. ACEM on responding to the accusation of not managing bullying and harassment, the management through Professor Lawler explained that they have put in place all the necessary measures to manage the situation in a healthcare facility (AAP Staff Writers, 2017). Safe Work Australia regulation of 2014 developed by Queensland replaced the older regulation or legislation since the legislation has the capacity to identify when bullying or harassment is occurring in an organization. According to Safe Work Australia (2017), former legislation was less prescriptive in nature hence not effective in managing risk. In addition, the guide sets the minimal threshold for managing risk in an organization. The legislation, therefore, reduces the chance of bullying occurring in an organization due to minimal risk management (Samnani Singh, 2014). Standard industry practice relating to the elimination or minimization of the bullying and harassment The government of Australia has various codes and standards of practice that have been developed to minimize bullying or harassment in the workplace. Safety standards of practice require the election of health safety representative that is regularly in consultation with the manager about any risk. The workplace bullying regulations require continuous assessment of factors that are most likely to result in bullying. In addition, Ramsay, Troth, and Branch (2010) indicate that health safety representative needs to check any bullying or harassment that might be taking place within the organization unknowingly. This should be done in compliances with various regulations laid out in work health safety Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (The Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators, 2013). Secondly, every organization is required to develop and implement health safety policies. These policies according to Lexology.com (2014) include defining jobs and role of employees to avoid conflict within the workplace. In addition, provision of resources to employees, training, and information on the need to reduce bullying and harassment within the organization are some of the strategies that ACEM has reportedly implemented in the organization. Consequently, the organizations, policies that reduce chances of bullying have a high potential of improving occupational safety (Samnani Singh, 2014). Thirdly, workplace bullying reports or responses as was developed by ACEM management requires implementation. Implementation of workplace bullying report is another standard of practice that point to the improvement of workplace health. According to Liefooghe (2012), many organizations have experienced workplace bullying or harassment and has been investigated reported yet implementation of recommendation on bullying has been a problem. Therefore, one of the standards of practice, as outlined by the government, is the full implementation of reports (Safe Work Australia, 2017). Conclusion In conclusion, literature leaves nothing unstudied in workplace bullying and harassment which are two major emerging issues in occupational health. Studies reveal that bullying has been experienced by more workers in various sectors with healthcare sector not spared. One organization that critically show bullying and causes is ACEM. The manifestation of workplace bullying relies on negative comments, unjustified complains sexual harassment and discriminatory comments as reported by studies. Bullying and harassment instill physical and psychological illness among those bullied at the workplace. In addition, there is much different legislation in Australia that protects workers from bullying and harassment through more need to be done to reduce this issue. Reference AAP Staff Writers, (2017). Australian doctors suffering from distressingly high levels of bullying. News Corp Australia Network August 16. Retrieved from https://www.news.com.au/national/australian-doctors-suffering-from-distressingly-high-levels-of-bullying/news-story/f9232bcc8c241074cb4bb3b3a0f488e5 Deshpande, S.P., Joseph, J. (2009). Impact of emotional intelligence, ethical climate, and behavior of peers on ethical behavior of nurses. Journal of Business Ethics, 85(3), 403-410. DOI: 10.1007/s10551-008-9779-z Hutchinson, M. Hurley, J. (2013). Exploring leadership capability and emotional intelligence as moderators of workplace bullying. Journal of Nursing Management, 21, 553-562. Available at DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2834.2012.01372.x Kane, S. (February 25, 2018). Who Is a Workplace Bully's Target?: Traits and characteristics of workplace bully targets, The Balance, available at https://www.thebalance.com/who-is-a-workplace-bully-s-target-2164323 Killoren, R. (2014). The Toll of Workplace Bullying - Research Management Review, 20(1). Lexology.com (2014). Prevention of Workplace Harassment Code of Practice 2004 replaced by national guides, Retrieved from https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=0d3a9ddf-1628-4831-b451-241197b42203 Liefooghe, A., (2012). Bullying beyond the bully, Training Journal (Apr 2012): 33-36. Ramsay, S., Troth, A Branch, S. (2010). Workplace bullying: A group processes framework Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 84(4), 799-816. Rayner, C., Cooper, C. L. (2006). Workplace Bullying. In Kelloway, E., Barling, J. Hurrell Jr., J. (eds.), Handbook of workplace violence (pp. 47-90). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Ray, W. (3 May 2011). The Silent Epidemic: Workplace Bullying. Psychology Today, Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201105/the-silent-epidemic-workplace-bullying. Safe Work Australia, (28 March 2017). Bullying, Retrieved from https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/bullying Samnani, A. Singh, P. (2014), Performance-enhancing compensation practices and employee productivity: The role of workplace bullying, Human Resource Management Review, 24(1):516. Samnani, A. Singh, P. (2012). Aggression and Violent Behavior. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 17 (6): 581589. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2012.08.004 Salin, D. Helge, H. (2010). Organizational Causes of Workplace Bullying in Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace: Developments in Theory, Research, and Practice (2010). The Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (2013). Bullying within Health Care Workplaces, The Quarterly, 2013, Retrieved from https://www.racma.edu.au/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=174Itemid=327 Van Uffelen, J.G.Z., Wong, J., Chau J, Y., (2010). Occupational sitting and health risks. A systematic review, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 3(4), pp. 379388. doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2010.05.024 Westgaard, R.H., Winkel, J., (2011). Occupational musculoskeletal and mental health: Significance of rationalization and opportunities to create sustainable production systems a systematic review. Applied Ergonomics, 42, pp. 261-296. doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2010.07.002