Screw the Hierarchy

Social worker Juli took an administrative role to get health insurance for her daughter only to see the racial hierarchy at work front and center. Hear Juli's story, her take on why workplace abuse happens from a social worker lens, and what her three tips are for targets of workplace abuse. Take action: http://www.wpsact.org Learn more: https://workplacepsychologicalsafetyact.org/wp-content/uploa...

Employers in the U.S. have WAY too much power. And that power reinforces white supremacy and the patriarchy. In this episode, I pull back the curtain on the system to show how abuse and discrimination at work intertwine to keep white men in power — and the rest of us out. Take action: http://www.wpsact.org Learn more: https://workplacepsychologicalsafetyact.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FactSheet...

Dr. Bonnie Candia-Bailey was a VP of student affairs at Lincoln University in Missouri when she died by suicide on January 8, 2024. Reporters revealed that Dr. Candia-Bailey saw her reports of Lincoln University President Dr. John Moseley's alleged harassment and bullying not result in support. In this episode, I talk about what we know through the media about her situation at work and how white m...

Emma Farley has experienced ableism at work in multiple jobs, and when she speaks up about accommodations, she sees a toxic mix of incompetence, power, and control. In this episode, I talk with Emma about her experience, both at work and in the legal system, and why she wants to see protections from workplace abuse. Take Action: http://www.wpsact.org If you've been abused at work and would like to...

On October 10, 2023, nearly 40 advocates and experts testified in support of the Workplace Psychological Safety Act in Massachusetts. Advocates with lived experience and experts in law, neuroscience, psychology, and more joined forces to voice the urgent need for worker protections from workplace psychological abuse. Take Action: http://www.wpsact.org If you've been abused at work and would like t...

Social change requires collective action. Two targets in Texas, Dee Montanez and Stuart Mayper, have turned their experiences into a fight for psychologically safe workplaces. In this episode, I talk with them about why they got involved with passing legislation to protect workers from psychological abuse and what's happening with the Workplace Psychological Safety Act in Texas. If you live IN Tex...

A big question on the minds of targets of workplace abuse is: how do I prevent abuse at work from happening again? While we can't prevent abuse at work but are now prepared to see red flags, we can arm ourselves with information about potential employers without having to sift through hundreds of reviews on job boards. Culturama.is is a game-changer for our job hunts and employer accountability. I...

Around the U.S., workers at companies of all sizes are increasingly speaking up to those in power around mistreatment, which disproportionately harms women and people of color. In this episode, I talk with Alex Horne, a GE whistleblower who founded #GEToo to connect targets of abuse at work and to mobilize them collectively to fight to end forced arbitration through the FAIR Act. Take action on th...

We know physical injury is harm. We also know there's a mind-body connection, and the stress from abuse at work can result in such stress-related symptoms as anxiety and digestive issues. But abusive behavior can also result in physical injury seen on brain scans, meaning psychological injury IS physical injury. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Jennifer Fraser, author of The Bullied Brain, who wal...

An insurance adjustor filed a complaint about transgender discrimination. The complaint escalated to racial discrimination, ignoring, and retaliation — all while the company touted its support of diversity. In this episode, hear from the insurance adjustor who endured a months-long complaint process that ended in his termination for a bogus problem and his takeaway that the system is designed to n...

Recovery from such trauma as workplace abuse follows a typical pattern. In this episode, I talk about those typical stages of recovery and how we're leaning on the collective part of recovery by giving targeted employees a way to take their voices back, minimize the isolation, and give others permission to speak up in a national protest across the country. Join us on Saturday, October 22 at Lives...

When we've been abused at work, our bullies and employers control the narrative, leaving us feeling voiceless and isolated. But when we advocate for ourselves, especially collectively, we own our narratives, take our voices back, and climb out of isolation by connecting with others who've gone through similar experiences. There's a third effect when we speak up collectively: we give others permiss...

We've heard about the idea of #QuietQuitting, the concept of not going above and beyond in your job to avoid burnout. But that narrative is the employer's narrative — not the employee's. Luckily, TikTok has seen a backlash to #QuietQuitting called #QuietFiring, calling out how employers create toxic work environments that leave employees checked out or pushed out. In this episode, I talk about how...

Stories of workplace abuse are going public more and more — this time with the Phoenix Suns. In this episode, I talk about the reported abuse from Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver, what the investigation found, and Sarver's consequences for his abusive behavior. Are they enough? If you've been abused at work and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you fee...

Fifty years of research are behind the need for workplace anti-abuse legislation in the U.S.. In this episode, I talk about those findings, how they shape our direction with the brand new Workplace Psychological Safety Act, and how you can learn about the collective action we're taking by introducing and advocating for this bill across the country. You can signup for this upcoming training simply...

When we feel ready for it, collective action can help us feel validated in our collective grief and powerful and confident in our collective voices. Collective action can help us realize again that our feelings and voices matter. In this episode, I talk about the power of collective action and how you can learn about the collective action we're taking by introducing and advocating for the Workplac...

Abuse at work means loss of our control. One major way to take back that control is to intentionally come up with a game plan. In this episode, I talk about components of that game plan that can help you take your voice and power back. If you've been abused at work and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free gui...

While collective action is one of the most effective ways to hold employers accountable, so many bystanders flat-out refuse to step in. We hear dismissive comments like "well, he's nice to me" or "are you sure that's what's happening?" or whatever piece of unsolicited advice they think will put them in the know and you out of it. It's all toxic. Some seem to not understand that remaining neutral s...

Employee productivity monitoring software is on the rise in white-collar roles. While it may help employers identify workers who aren't doing their jobs or are unproductive and see productivity trends, the tool also encourages micromanagement when misused. In this episode, I talk about how these tools create toxic work environments. If you've been abused at work and would like to share your story...

The concept of "quiet quitting" is trending on TikTok in response to both employees going the extra mile and suffering from burnout and employees deciding to do the minimum their jobs requires. In this episode, I talk about how quiet quitting can help us cope with workplace abuse in the short-term. If you've been abused at work and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytoge...

Taking collective action can help us heal from trauma. That collective action isn't limited to advocacy; we can also memorialize our losses together and feel seen and heard by those who get it. In this episode, I talk about how collective action can bring us from suffering to surviving to challenging to thriving and how we're memorializing our losses from workplace psychological abuse in our new m...

The Guardian reports that workplace suicides in the U.S. "up 39% since 2000," with the U.S. topping the list for suicide rates among select OECD (the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries: "13.9 suicides for 100,000 people." In this episode, I talk 18 lives lost to workplace bullying and mobbing as highlighted in the media. If you've been abused at work and would like to...

A form of trauma, bullying can result in feeling unloved or unaccepted. When does bullying become self-bullying, and what can we do about our inner critics and the messages they reinforce? In this episode, I talk with anti-bullying specialist and award-winning author Kalyani Pardeshi about what we can do to feel unbullied, even after abuse at work. Find Kalyani at KalyaniSpeaks.com. If you've been...

Bosses rely on fear, hopelessness, division, and confusion to keep us from working collectively (LaborNotes.org). So what can we do about it? In this episode, I talk about these four tactics and advocacy tools for tackling each one so we can collectively work together as advocates and create change. If you've been abused at work and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytog...

In 1970, Congress and President Nixon passed the OSH Act (Occupational Safety and Health) to make our workplaces free of physical hazards. Since then, despite a much larger workforce, injuries, illnesses, and deaths have dramatically decreased. In this episode, I talk about what OSHA oversees, how it enforces health and safety guidelines, and how it can inform our approach to making our workplaces...