OCTOBER IS BULLYING AWARENESS PREVENTION MONTH
Dear Colleagues,We’re always striving to create and sustain a climate of respect and inclusion here at Berkeley so that all staff, faculty, and students can succeed and flourish in an environment free of violence, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, and intimidation. October is Bullying Awareness Month, and we want to remind you why it’s important to understand what bullying is and how to prevent it.
While it can be difficult to clearly identify bullying and abusive behavior, California State Assembly Bill 2053 defines abusive conduct as, “... conduct of an employer or employee in the workplace, with malice, that a reasonable person would find hostile, offensive and unrelated to an employee’s legitimate business interests.” UC President Janet Napolitano has developed Presidential Guidance that provides examples of what is, and what is not, considered bullying. For example, bullying may include “the use of derogatory remarks, insults, and epithets... or the gratuitous sabotage or undermining of a person’s work performance.” However, “differences of opinion, interpersonal conflicts, and occasional problems in working relations are an inevitable part of working life and do not necessarily constitute workplace b ullying.”
One of Chancellor Christ’s priorities is building community, and to that end, we all must adhere to the Principles of Community, as well as Regents Policy 1111 - Statement of Ethical Values and Standards of Ethical Conduct, which states that “UC is committed to treating everyone, regardless of function and roles, with respect and dignity.”
We also recently developed guidelines for preventing and responding to faculty bullying and other demeaning & disruptive behavior. A copy of that document may be found here
If you have questions about bullying, please consult any one of the following resources:
Join Chancellor Christ and us in our efforts to nurture a culture of diversity and inclusion as well as a climate of respect and trust here at Berkeley.
Thank you,
Eugene & Heather
Eugene Whitlock, AVC - HRHeather Archer, AVP - Academic Personnel Office
If you are a manager who supervises UC Berkeley employees without email access, please circulate this information to all.
