Abuse of power in the workplace can affect an employee’s performance, personal life and well-being. It can take different forms and the severity and frequency can impact each individual differently.
Bear in mind that any form of discrimination due to race, religion or gender is significant enough to be reported.
Other forms of action that can be considered an abuse of a superior’s power against any employee can include:
- Favouritism
- Physical or verbal bullying
- Biased and unreasonable demands on subordinates
- Indecent or intimidating sexual behaviour
- Discrimination based on sexual orientation, racial and ethnic identity or age
- Illegal financial exploitation
- Requiring employees to perform peculiar tasks
Power is power
Power can make people care less about how they act and become less empathetic towards others. The more power they have, the more it can come to the point of them being unaware of the effects of certain behaviours.
Individuals who misuse their power tend to believe that people will always do what they demand. In some cases, they will refuse to acknowledge or may even openly relish the fact that they are negatively affecting other people’s lives and have little or no concern for the consequences.
Observing abuse of authority
If you are in a situation where a superior abuses their power, speak to them firmly but respectfully about their behaviour. Be sure to tell them their actions have affected your overall work performance.
If any of your colleagues are on the receiving end, try to put yourself in the middle and help resolve the situation. Start with a firm remark about what you have witnessed and state that it is inappropriate and needs to stop immediately.
If the situation escalates, be prepared to make a report to management or relevant authorities.
What to do and whom to report to?
If you can see that the abuse is getting more severe, keep a written record of each event with the date, time and remark on whether anyone else was present.
Before taking any action, look into your company’s code of conduct, which should tell you how to move forward with a complaint and whom you should report to, as well as if there are any other procedures involved.
Alternatively, you can contact the Human Resources department about the situation.
If the company does not want to help resolve the issue, report the problem to the appropriate state or governmental agency.
In Malaysia, you can submit an official report to the Industrial Relations Department, especially in cases of sexual harassment. Rest assured that swift action will be taken, as sexual harassment in the workplace takes precedence over other categories.
What can HR management do?
Abuse of power has the tendency to get out of control if it is not nipped in the bud. It is the responsibility of the HR department to ensure that the workplace is free from abuse of power. Here are the essential steps management can take:
- Put up a suggestion box to provide employees with a way to share their problems discreetly. It is also essential for management to be supportive and open, so employees can easily and willingly come forward for private discussions.
- Every company should establish proper ethics and rules governing employment and make it a point to regularly remind all employees about these guidelines. Let them know that any form of mistreatment of another employee can result in swift disciplinary action.
- An independent external counsellor can help identify and properly and professionally address any problems that may not be in focus. This is especially helpful in a highly stressful work environment that could potentially lead to severe abuse of authority, thus, leading to serious internal disturbances.
This article first appeared in jobstore.com.
Jobstore is an online job site that specialises in providing jobseekers with the latest job opportunities by matching talented individuals with reputable companies in Malaysia. Find your dream job with over 40,000 job vacancies in Malaysia.
Source : FMT
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