News and Information

Dr. Moira Jenkins will be conducting one day workshops for LEADR on Mediating workplace bullying complaints: using an evidence-based model to promote sustainable outcomes.

The number of workshops has been expanded due to the numbers of people interested in this event. The new dates are:

Adelaide 11 July, Melbourne 26 July, Sydney 23 & 24 August, Brisbane 28 August, Perth 26 October

This one-day workshop examines the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) model of workplace bullying and the types of bullying complaints appropriate for mediation, as well as how to conduct mediation within an OHS framework.

The workshop uses case studies, small group activities and experiential tasks to address the issues presented. It is divided into two parts. You may choose to attend all day for Parts 1 and 2, or attend the morning session for Part 1 only. Both morning and afternoon sessions are limited to 15 participants.

For more details and registration see the LEADR flier.

The dates will be: Sydney, 24 and 25 July 2012 and Melbourne, 26 July 2012

Dr. Moira Jenkins will be conducting one day workshops for LEADR on Mediating workplace bullying complaints: using an evidence-based model to promote sustainable outcomes.

This one-day workshop examines the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) model of workplace bullying and the types of bullying complaints appropriate for mediation, as well as how to conduct mediation within an OHS framework.

The workshop uses case studies, small group activities and experiential tasks to address the issues presented. It is divided into two parts. You may choose to attend all day for Parts 1 and 2, or attend the morning session for Part 1 only. Both morning and afternoon sessions are limited to 15 participants.

STOP PRESS: These Sydney workshops are full but more workshops are scheduled. See the revised flier below. Register your interest in further workshops by contacting LEADR

For more details and registration see the LEADR flier.

Moira Jenkins, argues that mediation is appropriate to deal with many complaints of workplace bullying as long as a risk management approach is used, so that the factors that may have contributed to the development of the alleged behaviours are addressed. While this extends the traditional role of the mediator, it ensures mediated outcomes are sustainable and risk factors within the workplace environment are identified and managed. Read the full editorial: Mediating Workplace Bullying Complaints A peer reviewed  journal article on this topic can be found in the resources section of the Aboto website.

Moira Jenkins from Aboto is presenting a one day LEADR Workshop on Mediating workplace bullying complaints: using an evidence-based model to ensure sustainable outcomes in Adelaide on Friday 25 November 2011.

This one-day workshop examines the OHSW model of workplace bullying and the types of bullying complaints appropriate for mediation as well as some of the ways to mediate them.The workshop uses case studies, small group activities and experiential tasks to address the issues presented. It is divided into two parts. You may choose to attend all day for Parts 1 and 2 or in the morning for Part 1 only.

Part 1 (morning): An OHSW model of workplace bullying which examines the OHSW model of workplace bullying.

Part 2 (afternoon): Mediating bullying complaints from an OHSW perspective which examines the types of bullying complaints that are appropriate for mediation and the arguments for and against mediating workplace bullying complaints. It also addresses how the mediator can better work with HR in order to identify systemic issues that have contributed to the alleged behaviors. Issues such as intake, power, confidentiality and sustainability of mediated outcomes are discussed.

Places are limited to 15 participants.

For flyer and registration form, click here >>

About Moira Jenkins

Moira Jenkins PhD is an experienced psychologist and mediator. Her PhD thesis examined the perceptions of the bullied target, the alleged perpetrator and the HR professional charged with managing complaints of bullying, with the aim of improving the prevention and management of workplace bullying and harassment. Prior to starting her own business in 2005, Moira was the Manager of the Complaint Handling Section of the South Australian Equal Opportunity Commission where she investigated and conciliated complaints of sexual harassment and discrimination. Currently Moira works part time as a clinical psychologist and also as a mediator, trainer and group facilitator in the area of workplace bullying.

Moira Jenkins is speaking on Mediation – is it suitable for workplace bullying complaints? at the South Australian Chapter of LEADR on the 15th of September 2011.

This short professional development presentation speaks to the debate surrounding the suitability of mediation as an intervention in complaints of workplace bullying.

The definition and different types of bullying behaviours are outlined, as are the stages of conflict escalation that often lead to bullying.

Moira will propose a model of mediation that takes into account the Occupational Health and Safety framework of preventing and addressing workplace bullying, and suggest that mediators are in a prime position to assist both the parties involved in the mediation, and the organisation to identify and address the root causes of the conflict.

While traditional models of mediation may be appropriate for many bullying complaints, they may inadvertently contribute to outcomes that are unsustainable and place one if not both parties at risk of potential harm.

LEADR is an Australasian, not-for-profit membership organisation that promotes alternative dispute resolution including mediation. LEADR has members in Australia, New Zealand and throughout the Asia Pacific region.

For more information on this presentation see the LEADR web site.

Moira will speak at the LEADR kon gres 2011 on the the subject of Taking a systemic approach to mediating bullying complaints: an evidence based model.

For more information on this presentation see the LEARDR conference website including a podcast by Moira introducing her subject. (no longer available)

Moira will present a paper titled ‘Mediating Workplace Bullying Complaints, Ensuring a Sustainable Outcome.’  at the Industrial and Organisational conference in Brisbane  held from June 23rd to the 25th, 2011.

This paper introduced an Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare (OHSW) model specific to mediating workplace bullying complaints.

She reported that although mediation is one of the most common ways of addressing complaints of workplace bullying, outcomes are often not sustainable because traditional mediation models focus only the complainant / respondent interactions.  In doing so the mediation fails to take into consideration the wider and systemic risk factors that may be present within the organisation, and may have contributed to the current complaint. Her paper argued that without taking these risk factors into account the outcome of mediation may not be sustainable, and further conflicts and complaints of bullying are likely.

The OHSW model of mediation provides an opportunity for all parties in the mediation to collaborate in identifying factors that may have contributed to the initial conflict, and the development of the conflict into a bullying complaint. This model also addresses a number of the dilemmas mediators are faced with when asked to mediate a complaint of bullying including, problems with definition, power imbalance between the parties, confidentiality, and post mediation interventions.

Moira reported that she has developed a full day workshop to introduce mediators to this model and assist them become familiar with the dilemmas involved in mediating workplace bullying complaints. This workshop is periodically offered through the Resolution Institute.

In collaboration with Professor Helen Winefield and  Dr. Aspa Sarris from the University of Adelaide, Moira has published her study on the consequences of being accused of workplace bullying.

It was interesting to note that prior to this study there had been no in-depth research on the effects of being accused of bullying. All of what we know about bullying has been gathered through the perspective of bully targets and to a lesser extent witnesses. The study was part of Moira’s PhD thesis, and she wanted to examine bullying from the perception of the target and the alleged perpetrator.  Her research found that even though  67% of the allegations were not substantiated, all of the accused bullies  suffered significant psychological problems, and 25% ended up leaving the organisation.

Those that stayed, reported low levels of confidence in their ability to manage staff, were less trusting of their staff and believed their reputation had been damaged by the allegations. She found that many respondents to bullying complaints regulate or hide severe emotional distress and managers who have been accused of workplace bullying require support, education about their behaviours and mentoring whether they have been found guilty of the behaviour or not.

A pdf copy of the article can be found here.