“I… wanted to express my appreciation for your sensitive portrayal of the suffering that people endure because of workplace bullying.”

– Laura Crawshaw, Ph.D. The Boss Whisperer ® Author

I stumbled onto the vicious little secret of the American workplace the hard way. In little more than two years, my boss bullied her way through 6 or more employees before me. The better I was at my job, the better she got at being a bully and the more outrageous her behavior became.  I’m a filmmaker so I decided to pick up my camera and show others the devastating impact of abusive bosses. And their victims’ national struggle to pass anti-harassment laws.

EPISODE 1: Tracey and Kali’s Law (New York) Tracey was barely two years shy of retirement when her supervisor changed. Tracey says the “new management style” included isolation from others and psychological intimidation. Both her doctor and therapist advised her to save her health and quit her job. Suffering from severe depression and unable to find work, Tracey lost her home, benefits and savings. She decided she might have better luck in North Carolina and packed up to leave the only town she and her family have lived in. Left behind, her teenage daughter Kali soon took up the fight to enact a law to protect others in a similar situation.

EPISODE 2: Marlene’s Law (Connecticut) Katherine Hermes is on a mission. Her best friend committed suicide after reportedly suffering psychological intimidation on the job. (Note: Her boss turned down our invitation to tell his side of the story). Hermes asks State Senator Edith Prague to propose legislation to stop bullying in the workplace. The response? “Let’s do this!” What begins for viewers in a Connecticut Senate Office soon takes on national importance. Scenes include an evening of jazz, wine & truffles, as powerful state business lobbyists voice opposition while reaching out to legislators. The head of the Chamber of Commerce readily reveals he is equally opposed to sexual harassment laws currently in place. Fliers on nearby tables advise corporate members to tell their legislators to vote against pending Workers Comp and retirement bills.

For more Information on Marlene’s story there are articles in our resources page or you can go to her memorial website.

EPILOGUE: International Law [Sneak Peak] Mike Schlict is invited to speak about his effort to pass legislation in New York at the 6th International Workplace Bullying Conference that’s being held in Montreal. The conference features presentations of researchers, business and organizational representatives, labor leaders, industry representatives, lawyers, human resources, health and psychological professionals, and practitioners from all disciplines who are involved in research and/or practice on bullying at work from 28 countries. Attending these workshops, Mike suddenly has a chance to experience the scope of the two year struggle he has been involved in from a Global perspective: “this is bigger than any one of us.”

Victims from Korea, Japan, Wales, and Canada share their stories and reveal that the manifestations of bullying are different in each culture but the impact is the same; loss of health, psychological stress, financial ruin and suicide. One woman from Japan used her experience to create a foundation to help victims in her country. Their goal is the same as Mike’s – they need the protection of a broad anti-harassment law.

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Please feel free to post comments after watching a scene! If you want to stay anonymous email me at bullyinworkplace@yahoo.com and I’ll post them for you. Naturally I can’t post comments that name specific institutions or employers. And, you retain legal responsibility for the information you have submitted. Click on the ‘Resources’ tab to find more links, research on this topic.