NIHSA trains staff on danger of workplace bullying

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has organised workshop to train its staff members on the danger of workplace bullying to improve workers’ productivity and motivate good performance at the place of duties.

Experts have defined workplace bullying as repeated unreasonable behaviour directed towards an employee or group of employees that creates a risk to health or safety.

Bullying includes verbal abuse, excluding or isolating particular employees, assigning tasks that are impossible for the employee to successfully complete, harassment or intimidation, assigning meaningless tasks unrelated to the employee’s job.

It also includes changing work rosters with the deliberate intention of inconveniencing particular employees, intentionally withholding information that prevents an employee from effectively discharging his or her duty; and threats of dismissal.

The Director General of NIHSA, Engr Clement Nze, said the training is apt as it is all about having a good work environment and bringing to staff knowledge of some acts or practices by persons that could hinder productivity and create tension among the workforce which will make people not give their best.

ALSO READ FROM  NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

• Kaduna Train Attack: How Leader Of Terrorists Deceived Us To Release His Wife, Kids —Presidency
  
• 48 Visa On Arrival, E-Visa And Visa Free Countries You Can Travel To As A Nigerian

He said various areas have been highlighted which at times, because of the environment, people have grown up to accept such things as a norm even directly or indirectly such practice is affecting them psychologically, health-wise even in the family not to talk about the workplace.

“This is good for the agency for the staff to know their boundaries, how to relate with individuals. Human beings are of different make-up. We will be able to take people as friends and colleagues.

“Whether you’re employee or employer, subordinates or superior officer you will have to treat people in a dignifying way because each person has his or her own rights so as to give best within the work environment.”

Similarly, the Co-founder of the Equality Development and Research Centre(EDRC), Mrs Marsha Nwanne Umeh, In her Presentation, explained that studies have investigated possible links between individuals’ experience of previous victimization at school and later victimization at work.

Speaking further, she said many times, the high school bullies graduate to workplace bullies and the bullied can also grow to be bullies themselves.

She noted bullying is not only in Nigeria thing as it is happening all over the world and sensitisation is the key to eradicating the menace.

“Once people realised that what they are doing is wrong, and even experiencing it is wrong on all levels that is the beginning of the success story. We have come a little farther to say that we intend to intervene.

“We have psycho-social support doctors who are willing to work with us and a lot of them are even on pro bono basis. We also have a child psychologist and these are people who intend to break that cycle which we established in the training that bullying starts at school and moves to workplaces.”

Umeh also advocated for laws that will deal specifically with bullying and achieve that, there’s a need to lobby legislators to see that they look at it and consider pushing it forward to combat the bullying pandemic.

Consultations Ongoing Between Tinubu, Amaechi, Lawan, Others — APC National Vice Chairman

NIHSA trains staff on danger of workplace bullying