Not Acceptable

A succinct and easy to read description of bullying behaviour in the workplace, this book provides focused background information about the challenging ‘interpersonal’ and intrapersonal’ relationships of the bullying drama. The text is presented in three parts: Part I: The bullying phenomenon, Part II: Narratives of those affected by workplace bullying, and Part III: Bullying and the law.

Part I focuses on the complex and multifaceted dynamics of workplace bullying. The environment in which bullying can take place with emphasis on the bully, the target/victim, and the bystander. The different types of bullying, the effects on employees, and the consequences on the organisation are discussed.

In Part II, the real narratives of six individuals who have experienced workplace bullying are presented. Their account is followed with a reflection and commentary by each participant. Since the voices of the bullied are seldom heard, it is important to appreciate and understand the impact of bullying behaviour at work through the narratives of the six participants who all give a meticulous account of their own experiences. These full and often painstaking accounts shed light on the impact of seemingly insignificant behaviours and the difficulty therein to raise concerns. The hidden complexities of workplace bullying behaviour are laid bare.

As the legal aspect in relation to workplace bullying may not initially enter a therapy session or a discussion by others surrounding a bullying episode, it may at some point arise when an adverse situation is taken further and ends in an industrial tribunal. Therefore, in Part III, employment laws with respect to discrimination and harassment, are discussed across comparable jurisdictions. The book ends with some useful websites and recommended reading.

This work is highly recommended for managers, supervisors and leaders, be it in the public sector (e.g. healthcare and education) or the corporate world, and also therapists and management consultants. It is also a must-read for those who have experienced or are experiencing bullying at work to show them they are not alone and give them tools to deal with the repercussions of such behaviour.

Marijke T. Moerman has worked as a person-centred therapist with clients in the mental health field and in private practice. She spent many years researching the phenomenon of workplace bullying, which took on a form of urgency after she experienced the devastation of her own episode of being bullied in her place of work. Since then, she has designed and delivered workshops and published on the subject.

Her book, Not Acceptable: An Exploration of Workplace Bullying, is a succinct and accessible text which was a direct outcome of her own experience and written in the hope it will serve others with similar experiences and to support practitioners, and others, who work with victims of workplace bullying.

She earned her BSc in social science (psychology) from the Open University and her MSc in counselling from the University of Abertay in Dundee. She gained a doctorate in counselling studies in 2011 from the University of Manchester, with a thesis entitled “Working with Suicide: The Impact on the Person-Centred Counsellor”. Marijke found this both challenging and rewarding.

When Marijke is not writing on her next subject of interest, you might find her indulging in spending time with her grandchildren, volunteering in the local museum, spending time with friends, and travelling abroad.