Workplace Bullying: Alberta Act, Outcomes, and Interventions

This report examines workplace bullying as a persistent mistreatment pattern causing emotional or physical harm. It explores the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act, emphasizing its role in protecting workers' physical, psychological, and social well-being. The report identifies workplace bullying as a psychosocial hazard, detailing its negative impacts on employee performance and health, including stress and decreased productivity. It discusses the outcomes of bullying, such as increased employee turnover and poor customer service, and proposes interventions like clear guidelines on unacceptable behavior, prevention strategies, and confidential reporting mechanisms. The report highlights the responsibilities of occupational health and safety officers in addressing psychosocial hazards and underscores the importance of proactive measures to mitigate the adverse effects of workplace bullying.

Running head: WORKPLACE BULLYING 1
Workplace Bullying
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

WORKPLACE BULLYING 2
Workplace bullying is well known as a persistent mistreatment pattern from other
individuals in the place of work that sequentially causes either emotional or physical harm. It
could include tactics like verbal, physical, nonverbal and humiliation. It is in this order that there
was need to enact Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act. Regarding this, the report aims to
exploring slightly on the Act, psychosocial hazard, outcomes and interventions in the place of
work.
Research on the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act
According to the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act (2017), the purpose for its
formation was to promote and maintain highest degree of workers’ physical, psychological and
social wellbeing. Also, it specifically intended to help protect workers from conditions and
factors that would adversely interfere with their health and safety. The section of the act that
addresses the investigation on workplace bullying allegations is section 3 part 1 under
obligations of work. It is the responsibility of the occupational Health and safety officer because
they are well versed with the act and the requirements of the work place towards employees.
According to the act, Human resource professional and/ or occupational health and safety officer
would carefully ensure that the workers get the treatment they deserve. Sometimes, if the
responsibility is left for the employers, they end up doing or making decisions that would favor
them or those that they are in good relationship with while infringing on their fellow employees.
Psychosocial Hazard
Workplace bullying is well known as a persistent mistreatment pattern from other
individuals in the place of work that sequentially causes either emotional or physical harm. There
is need to address work place bullying because it affects not only the performance of the

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individuals but also their health. Workplace bullying ultimately causes stress, turmoil and
emotional deterioration. All these affects the health of an individual and thus reduction in
performance (Kelloway, Francis & Gatien 2017). Self labelling is one of the metrics that we can
use to gather support for handling bullying in the place of work. Self-labeling would help
determine the prevalence rates of those undergoing bullying.
Outcome in the workplace
Bullying usually has a drastic effect on the overall organization’s ‘health.’ One of the
measurable outcomes is increased turnover of employees. The other one is increased levels of
stress among the employees and hence poor performance. Poor customer service, increased
absenteeism and decreased motivation and productivity are among other outcomes (Kelloway et
al. 2017).
Interventions in the Workplace
There are four ways that employers could use to help employees who feel they are being
bullied. One of the ways is providing concise examples of the unacceptable behavior and
working conditions. The other one is that they should highlight the procedures by which
measures of prevention will be developed. Thirdly, they should precisely state the consequences
of creating threats or act commission. Lastly, they should outline the confidential way (s) of
reporting employees committing such acts (Bow Valley College, 2020). Apart from the training
for all the employees in respectful protocol communication and the outcomes of failing to
adhere, there is the need to train employees in skills that would help in preventing, identifying
and responding to such incidents. Psychosocial hazard investigation would be appropriate to use
to perform investigation.

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In conclusion, workplace bullying is a psychosocial hazard that needs to be addressed
with same seriousness as physical hazards. It is the occupational health and safety officer or
human resource officer that should be responsible for handling matters related to psychosocial
hazards. AOHS act is one of the acts that helps protect the employees from bullying in the work
place. Nevertheless, there could be serious outcomes of the hazards in the work place if the
employers don’t put appropriate measures. Ultimately, the effects of the hazards could weigh or
lower the performance of the individuals.

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References
Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act. Retrieved from
http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/O02P1.pdf
Bow Valley College (2020) HRES@#)#; Occupational Health and Safety) [PowerPoint slides]
retrieved from: https://d2l.bowvalleycollege.ca/d2l/le/content/230023/Home
Kelloway, E.K. Francis, L. & Gatien, B. (2017) Management of Occupational Health and Safety.
7th Ed. Toronto. Nelson