PLH GROUP NEWS
A Core Value of PLH Group Protects its Workers
Date: July 24, 2019
Bullying is a term that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines as “any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths…that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated.” But does this unacceptable behavior disappear after entering adulthood? Unfortunately not. It is just coined under different terminology– one being “workplace violence and harassment”. PLH Group does not tolerate workplace violence and harassment, and has, in fact, made that clear in the company’s core values.
Bullying in the workplace is defined by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as “any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide.” Workplace violence is not only recognized as a job-related hazard, but has ranked in the top four causes of workplace deaths in the last 15 years. In 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 16,890 workers reported trauma from workplace violence. Of these workers, 70% were female and 67% were aged 25 to 54. Additionally, in 2017, there were more reported workplace fatalities due to intentional injury by a person than fatalities from contact with objects and equipment.
According to an article published by Forbes, 75% of employees have been involved in bullying at work, either as a victim or witness. The article also states workplace violence and harassment targets are often not the weak workers in the company. Instead, targets are often the high performing employees whose achievements threaten weaker workers. In an effort to regain power, the weaker worker may resort to workplace violence or harassment, including:
- Spreading rumors with ill-intention
- Socially isolating a worker
- Purposefully hindering work progress
- Preventing opportunity for worker advancement or increased responsibility
- Physically or psychologically causing worker harm
- Demanding impossible work conditions to cause failure
To ensure clarity of its intolerance of workplace violence and harassment, parent company PLH Group focused one of its four company values on the topic: “We value people, encourage teamwork, and treat everyone with respect”. PLH Group is dedicated to the protection and well-being of all of its employees, and does not tolerate workplace violence or harassment.
If you feel you are victim of or have witnessed workplace violence or harassment, act now to prevent its continuation. If you feel comfortable, ask the person bullying to stop. If you do not feel comfortable confronting the person or if the behavior does not stop, follow the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s recommended steps to get help.
PLH Group understands that workplace violence and harassment are issues not just in the construction industry or in the United States. Rather, they are issues faced by all workers in every industry throughout the world. It is for that reason that PLH Group built the intolerance of workplace violence and harassment into its core values over all 11 PLH Group entities. Know your rights as a worker and stop workplace violence before it escalates.
RESOURCES:
https://esa.org/earlycareer/bullying-and-harassment-in-the-workplace-resources-for-targets-and-their-allies/https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.t02.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/violence/fastfacts.html
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/bullyingresearch/fastfact.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/pragyaagarwaleurope/2018/07/29/workplace-bullying-here-is-why-we-need-to-talk-about-bullying-in-the-work-place/#64b784443259
https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/
https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/12167-workplace-bullying
