Our affiliate, The People Group, shared some interesting information on their blog describing how to identify when you are being bullied. These signs are from “You know you’re being bullied when…” by Dr. Gary Namie, Workplace Doctor and Founder of the Workplace Bullying Institute:

1. You attempt the obviously impossible task of doing a new job without training or time to learn new skills but that work is never good enough for the boss.

2. Surprise meetings are called by your boss with no results other than further humiliation.

3. Everything your tormenter does to you is arbitrary and capricious, working a personal agenda that undermines the employer’s legitimate business interests.

4. Others at work have been told to stop working, talking or socializing with you.

5. You constantly feel agitated and anxious, experiencing a sense of doom, waiting for bad things to happen.

6. No matter what you do, you are never left alone to do your job without interference.

7. People feel justified screaming or yelling at you in front of others, but you are punished if you scream back.

8. HR tells you that your harassment isn’t illegal, that you have to “work it out between yourselves.”

9. You finally, firmly confront your tormentor to stop the abusive conduct, you are accused of harassment.

10. You are shocked when accused of incompetence despite a history of objective excellence, typically by someone who cannot do your job.

11. Everyone – co-workers, senior bosses, HR – agrees (in person and orally) that your tormentor is a jerk, but there is nothing they will do about it (and deny saying what they said later when asked to support you).

12. Your request to transfer to an open position under another boss is mysteriously denied.

If this describes your situation, follow THIS LINK to information that will help you deal with a workplace bully.

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GreatPlaceJobs is happy to share a ground-breaking study comparing layoff trends between top-rated and other Fortune 100 companies.  The findings clearly demonstrate that the biggest employers are not necessarily the best.

The study shows that companies recognized as great workplaces conducted layoffs at a rate of less than half that of a general sample of companies.  Only 35% of excellent employers laid off workers in 2008, as opposed to a shocking rate of 73% of regular companies.

The revenue growth rate at great workplace companies in Q3 2008 was 27.4% higher than the rest of the Fortune 100 and the average stock price of the excellent employers was close to 10% higher at the end of 2008 (compared to the beginning of 2008) than typical Fortune 100 companies.

“In this competitive marketplace, it is crucial for job seekers to target their efforts at finding positions with top-ranked employers, such as those featured on GreatPlaceJobs.com. Award winning companies are more likely to survive the current recession without suffering layoffs or a bankruptcy,” said Asher Adelman, founder and CEO of GreatPlaceJobs.  “Top-ranked employers have proven themselves to be much more recession-proof than the average company.”

The GreatPlaceJobs Great Workplace Employment Study compared the employment, financial and operating data of the Fortune 100 largest U.S. companies with the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For.  The year-over-year revenue growth in Q3 2008 was much stronger at the great workplace companies, who, despite the rapidly deteriorating economy, achieved impressive revenue growth of 29.9% from Q3 2007.  In comparison, the Fortune 100 largest companies delivered revenue growth of only a paltry 2.5% in Q3 2008 in the same time frame.

A clear sign of the great employers’ competitive advantage and resilience is evident in the fact that nine of the Fortune 100’s largest companies filed for bankruptcy or were bailed out by the U.S. government in 2008, while none of the great workplace companies failed on this magnitude.

A complete copy of the GreatPlaceJobs Great Workplace Employment Study and additional information about the methodology may be requested via email: contact@greatplacejobs.com.

Miriam Salpeter
GreatPlaceJobs Career Advice Expert
www.keppiecareers.com