Fedweek

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While physical violence among federal employees is rare, other forms of aggression in the workplace are more common and “the damage is nevertheless quite real,” the MSPB has said.

“The reality for some federal employees is that the workplace is neither supportive nor inclusive. Instead, it is threatening because they experience workplace aggression: they are attacked, openly or covertly, by supervisors, coworkers, or others,” it said in a recent publication.

It cited data from a 2016 survey it conducted of the federal workforce showing that over the prior two years, 36 percent of federal employees had experienced at least one of the 11 types of workplace aggressions listed. Those ranged from less than 2 percent who had experienced physical assault to more than a fifth each who had experienced verbal intimidation, persistent undeserved criticism or rumors or negative comments.

The data further show that employees who have experienced even one such incident tend to be less likely to be satisfied with their supervisor or manager; feel a spirit of cooperation and teamwork; and be inspired to do their best work, among other negative effects.

It said that studies have shown that “aggression, including seemingly mild forms such as rudeness or discourtesy, can be “contagious.” For example, an employee who is mistreated by a supervisor or coworkers may, in turn, act rudely towards other coworkers or members of the public.”

Further, “harsh criticism can undermine communication and teamwork to the extent that the quality of decisions can be negatively affected. In settings such as health care and emergency response, this can have life-or-death implications. But the implications for collaboration and organizational performance in other contexts are quite clear,” it said.

“Taken together, the results of our survey, as well as other research-based studies, demonstrate that workplace aggression is both real and harmful. This aggression need not be physical in nature, as most employees did not experience physical violence. However, even more subtle forms of aggression can erode the ability of employees and the organization to perform effectively,” it said.

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