Dear VPAA,

The text below appeared in the Wednesday, May 27 edition of the Asbury Park Press. The content of the text pertains to you. YOU ARE OCC'S BULLY. You may not recognize yourself as such, but that is what you have become.

"The bully is a political animal and knows how organizations run and knows that aggression pays off and is rewarded," Namie said. "You have a player against a person who is basically a do-gooder, someone with a social orientation who (keeps) their nose to the grindstone.""

"A bully is different from a hard-charging boss, said Red Bank workplace coach Donna Coulson, owner of Donna Coulson & Associates. A hard boss may not smile and give a lot of work to people, but they tend to challenge employees, she said."

You, Interim-VPAA Strada, are a BULLY, not a "hard-charging" boss. Employees at OCC are beginning to, if they didn't already,  detest you. It is rumored that even one of your little Deanlets refers to you as "Hitler".

This is quite a legacy to leave for someone with so much history at the college. You are a founding member of OCC, a past (shudder) FAOCC president, and a dean. Now you are just reduced to being a BULLY. A thug. There is still time to have your "Scrooge" moment, but something tells me that you enjoy making people miserable. Ah, the power, the money...
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Workplace bullying can wreak havoc on the job, sapping productivity, devastating morale and increasing absenteeism.

You should know it when you see it.

Verbal harassment at work, practical jokes, threats, intimidation, and even sabotage, are all the hallmarks of a workplace bully.

As opposed to tough management, "bullying is a level of misery that falls disproportionally on the few," said Gary Namie, director of the Workplace Bullying Institute in Bellingham, Wash.

A 2007 survey by the institute and Zogby International found that 37 percent of American workers have been bullied at work. Nearly three-quarters, 72 percent, of the bullies are bosses, the survey said.

And as companies struggle, experts say workplace bullying has grown as people fear job loss.

"It is just really out of fear. Where there is fear there is a need to control," said Terri Dawe, employee assistance coordinator at CPC Behavioral Healthcare, which has centers around Monmouth County. "It is escalating in these economic times and jobs being tenuous."

The tight job market has compounded the problem, Namie said. "It's a buyer's market. Now the attitude is, "I can treat you however I want and you can leave and I can find more like you.' "

Like the school yard, bullies cause problems at work.

"In terms of overall morale, it is horrible," said Alan Cavaiola, an associate professor at Monmouth University and co-author of "Toxic Co-Workers: How to Deal With Dysfunctional People on the Job." "Everyone kind of tiptoes around this person. It is very much like walking on egg shells."

In one case, Cavaiola said a female worker was harassed by two male supervisors, who made sexually demeaning remarks. Her boss didn't take her complaints seriously, she quit her job and sued.

"They are very narcissistic. They are very self-centered," Cavaiola said of workplace bullies. "They lack empathy. They lack compassion."

But unlike schoolyard bullies, bullies at work tend to target people who are a threat to them, said Namie. Their victims may be stronger performers or better liked.

"The bully is a political animal and knows how organizations run and knows that aggression pays off and is rewarded," Namie said. "You have a player against a person who is basically a do-gooder, someone with a social orientation who (keeps) their nose to the grindstone."

A bully is different from a hard-charging boss, said Red Bank workplace coach Donna Coulson, owner of Donna Coulson & Associates. A hard boss may not smile and give a lot of work to people, but they tend to challenge employees, she said.

"A bully will bully you whether things are good or bad or indifferent," she said.

So what's a worker to do?

If possible, talk to the person later in private, Coulson said. "If you stand up to the bully, they will eventually stop," she said.

Dawe said a worker has to recognize bullying which can be hard to define. But once they do, they should make a diary of what they experience, including dates and times, so they can bring it to human resources, she said.

Namie recommend that workers take a three-prong approach. "You have to recognize that it's happening to you," Namie said. "In a way, that takes a long time. They can't believe it is happening to them, so they are in denial themselves."

They should take time off from work to check their physical and mental health, and look for violations of company policy, he said. Consult a lawyer, he said.

"You need to start to build a business case, the unemotional case, that the bully is too expensive to keep," Namie said.

Take the case to the highest level position who is not pledged or not related to the bully, he added.

Namie said he supports a bill in the state Assembly, called the "Healthy Workplace Act." It would make abusive conduct in a workplace — repeated use of derogatory remarks, insults and epithets that are intimidating and humiliating — illegal. Employers violating that standard could be fined up to $25,000. The bill is currently before the Assembly Labor Committee.

"Workplace bullying is an underappreciated problem," said Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein, D-Middlesex. "Studies have shown that workplace bullying occurs much more frequently than sexual harassment, yet has not received nearly as much attention."

Kathleen M. Connelly, a lawyer at Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper in Rumson, said employers have to recognize the need to address the problem.

"Employers have dropped the ball in not recognizing that an essential element of being a supervisor is managing people, and that means being able to do that in a respectful manner."

But legislation is not the answer, she said.

"This statute would basically give every employee in the workplace a vehicle to commence litigation," she said. "Do we want to be in a situation where our court systems become overwhelmed with burdens with every employee grievance?"

By David P. Willis

Comments

[Surfin' by]

what's up guys? I'm tryign to post something and it isn't going through. Are we shut down, silenced?!

[Suzanne]

I actually think Mr. Z was speaking about the "Me" poster who said they were going to be Bold and say that Ali is the Russell Snoop. That is the only person who mentioned the word Bold, and "Bold" is the reference Mr. Z specifically uses.
I post with my name, because I have no fear of retribution, but I have also seen the intimidation used on campus.
I would have to agree with "Me" that Ali is definitely now a snoop for the other side. It is a shame that is the case, BUT, to each their own. If she feels she is furthering the cause of education at OCC, then she will feel justified!
So, I will also be bold in declaring that Ali is "The Russell Snoop".
I wonder if Mr. Z or even Ali's students understand the words he used. After all, if you can not transfer the desire to learn, or the information, you certainly can not consider yourself to be a good teacher!

[onomatopoeia]

Mr. Zahler thinks he is untouchable because he is buddy's with Strada.

Unfortunately, too many faculty have gotten the short end of the "friends with Strada" stick.

Don't confuse friends with friendly! Be wary!

[Been Here, Done This]

OBL,

Thank you. :)

[Osama Bin Larson]

Mr. Zahler:

I suppose you think signing your name makes you "bold". It doesn't. Behaving like a troll on this board and signing your name just means you're more interested in currying favor with admin than in standing in solidarity with your colleagues.

Let's wait and see if you publicly speak out when this admin mistreats you* before we congratulate you for your "boldness". (*They WILL mistreat you - mark my words. Being a suck-up may lessen the severity of the abuse, but won't prevent it, as many of us have witnessed. When that day comes, hopefully your colleagues will give you more support than you are giving now.)

- OBL, who has also been there and done that :)

[Been Here, Done This]

Mr. Zahler,

You are listed as an adjunct professor of history in the faculty/staff index. Are you an adjunct or are you full-time (tenured)? For clarity's sake, please.

[Michael J. Zahler, Prof.of History OCC]

Bold you are indeed, Sir or Madam: As bold as any other thief in the night or obsequious pultroon who, after committing his or her trifling deed or planting his or her little seeds of dissention, slinks away under the anonymity of night to remain nameless for shame of his or her name. A child in the sandbox of time whose deeds and words are as unworthy of being noticed as his name is of being spoken or written.

[Been Here, Done This]

Let us not loose sight of the DWI charges that have been discussed on this site. The "wanna-be" dean in Russell is of far less importance and relevance.

[The Peanut Gallery]

interesting but no surprise. what is the dean in waiting snooping for and up to? some people figure she's mole for larson and strada. She is tight with them and Hayward not to mention Lavundi (is he coming back ever?). In the last few years she has switched loyalties and burned her bridges in her department. it doesn't really matter because the real problem we have is the situation with vee pee Dick. unless she is involved in that cover up.oh my...

[Me]

I will be so bold as to post who the Russell Snoop is. Ali B-F...

[Been here, done this]

My apologies: colloquium, not collequium. My arthritis is a bit of a problem.

[Been here, done this]

The question now is, is this a repetitive mode of behavior? People who drive DUI are known for their hubris. Is his behavior mode repetitive? If so, does this impede his ability to fulfill his obligations to the OCC community? This is a question that needs to be posed at the Collequium by someone whose employment is not at risk. (Read: tenured.)

[The Peanut Gallery]

Hey thanks for posting the article. I can't read the text(!) but at least it confirms undisputable facts. Who would the Russell snoop be? Or am I being snoopy?!

[Been here, done this]

Thank you for posting this news article on this web site.

[JR]

The Russell snoop was busy again today.

[Osama Bin Larson]

So the question is: if Our Dear Leader and his mullahs are "convincing" the local press not to cover it, how does one get the info out there? This "man" didn't have to face any consequences for assaulting a faculty member; it would be a shame if this incident were also swept under the rug. Where is Handleman these days? Will it be reported in the VN?

[Been here, done this]

The BRICK TOWNSHIP BULLETIN is on line, but the "Police Beat" section is not available on line. He was arrested on 8/07/09. I read a copy of this publication at an Ocean County Public Library location. The information is out there in the public domain. Do with it what you will.

[Sag]

If this just "goes away" no one is doing him a favor. The town where I grew up the police chief kept covering his son's DUI's until he and 3 of his classmates were killed in a final crash.

[The Peanut Gallery]

Apparently the article was in the brick bulletin which a non OCC person showed me. It does not seem to be in the APP and the brick paper is not on line. Here are the facts as I remember from that police blotter: Dean Dick arrested (don't know date) on DWI charges on Mantaloking Road after some illegal maneuver or turn and hitting a car.

[Webmaster]

No one is censoring anything.

[Been Here, Done This]

Sorry for the typo. The publication date is 8/20/09.

[Been Here, Done This]

Here we go, second attempt.

The source of the information is the Brick Township Bulletin, 8/20/90 edition, page 25. I found a copy in a public library. Hope this is posted.

[Been here, done this]

Sag,

I just attempted to post the details, but my posting has not appeared on this web site. Is someone censoring this site?

[Sag]

Someone post the details. This is probably just a traffic ticket and you are making it sound like a major crime. If it is documeted on a Police Blotter it is public record. You have to be fair to Costello and post the truth as printed in the blotter.

[Osama Bin Larson]

BSB,

Absolutely true - I saw the item from the police blotter. I tried to post it here twice, but it's not working for some reason.

OBL