How to deal with workplace bullying and discrimination in cardiology

Key takeaways from the session included:

   • Document everything. This includes getting the language right by speaking with a labor lawyer.

   • Remember that work emails are legal documents than can be saved and used later if needed. 

   • Make sure you do not react from anger and that you are anchored emotionally before you make a response. You can always wait and respond later.

   • You need to have allies and friends who will back you up if a complaint is made. It is also good to discuss the situation with peers you feel you can trust to get their take on the situation.

   • Consulting a labor lawyer may help delineate what labor laws say specifically about your situation or lead to other benefits. Just because a lawyer is consulted does not mean you have to pursue legal action. 

Knowing your allies

Thamman said it is important to understand who your allies and friends are in the workplace and who may be aligned with the person causing problems. If the issues become a bigger problem and the worker wants to bring a complaint to human resources (HR) or department leadership, they are going to need people to back up their story. Knowing who your allies are will help keep you from getting stabbed in the back, she explained. Thamman added you may need to feel people out or have a discussion with them to see if they are willing to help you. 

“Not everyone is going to want to expend their political capital on you, so it really depends on the situation. And you really need to assess if it is worth asking someone for their help, so you will have to weigh the pros and cons. But clearly, the larger the network of friends you can create, the stronger you are going to be whenever you are faced with those types of challenges,” she explained.

The panel discussed each scenario in the workplace and then opened up discussion with the audience. Many attendees shared personal experiences dealing with similar situations.

“What was particularly interesting was the fact that so many women from the audience really shared very deep stories about how they survived certain aspects of bullying. One of the positive silver linings that came out of it was that you can create community and support outside of your institution. So even if one person is trying to quash you in one particular place, you may have access to so many other friends or allies outside your workplace,” Thamman said.

One of the cases discussed in the session was how to deal with a physician creating a toxic environment. One of the audience members shared a similar situation they had experienced, where they did not complain, but a nurse from another department who came in to help with a procedure witnessed what was going on and filed a third-party complaint. Thamman said that third-party type of complaint often changes the narrative, because it is not a “he said” or “she said” uncorroborated story. 

“That can be more impactful in a way if it is anonymous because the retaliation can be less direct,” she said.

She added that HR should be a last resort, but it is always an option.