Bullying concerns revealed in mag
Anonymous letters in the past two months’ editions of Police News have revealed concerns over bullying in the police force.
In the latest edition of the Police Association magazine, one letter writer wonders if anyone else is ‘‘questioning a culture of bullying by superior officers’’ and says ‘‘bullying is alive and well at a station near you’’.
Another writer talks of their partner suffering rank-based bullying, including a direct supervisor who yelled at him and set him ‘‘impossible tasks and deadlines’’.
The letters were prompted by previous correspondence from the wife of a veteran sergeant in which she expresses deep concern about workplace bullying – especially from senior officers.
Police Association president Chris Cahill said reporting from association members did not include a significant number of complaints, nor did it indicate a systemic culture of bullying.
But when it did happen bullying created a workplace environment that was ‘‘difficult and damaging’’.
Cahill said bullying would always be a difficult issue to gauge but the association and police needed to remain alert and address the issues as they arose rather than let them fester.
When asked if hierarchical organisations like police were more prone to a culture of bullying, Cahill said the regimented system could have an influence and create a culture clash.
‘‘Sometimes there’s a clash with older, more superior officers who were trained in a regimental environment dealing with newer officers who are more questioning of their role – that can be seen as a clash of cultures and can be perceived as bullying.’’
Massey University Associate Professor Bevan Catley works in the field of workplace bullying and said no organisation was immune from bullying. But high-pressure organisations – such as police and the health sector – that dealt with stressful events and stretched resources could be at greater risk.
Separating bullying from simple bad management further clouded the issue.
‘‘Bullying is about repeated behaviour but it gets tricky when it’s folded into a management relationship. What is actual bullying and what is just bad management?’’ Catley said.
WorkSafe defines workplace bullying as repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or a group of workers that can lead to physical or psychological harm.
Police employment relations national manager Cathryn Curran-Tietjens said that police took any allegation of bullying seriously and were committed to ensuring employees upheld police values and abided by their code of conduct.