End Workplace Abuse Now

Untreated trauma can have a lifelong impact. Learn the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), understand how to detach from the pain, and learn ways to cope with the traumatic circumstances after workplace abuse.

Amy Ebbeson is the clinical director of Worcester ACTs (Addresses Childhood Trauma). She has a master’s degree in clinical social work from Boston University and has worked in a variety of social service agencies, including the Department of Mental Health. For 17 years, she taught mental health and community health at several colleges including Worcester State University. She currently consults to the Department of Public Health, is the 2018 recipient of the YWCA Erskine Award in Education, and is on the Advisory Board for the Clemente Course in the Humanities.

Detach from the Trauma of Workplace Abuse
Thursday, July 25, 7-8pmET

Grab your ticket:
https://actionnetwork.org/ticketed_events/detaching-from-the-trauma-of-workplace-abuse/

"Perhaps one of the most damaging aspects of the toxic work environment was the smear campaigns launched against me. The toxic leader, driven by their own insecurities and desire for control, aimed to tarnish my reputation and credibility. False accusations and rumors were spread, further isolating me and creating a hostile work environment. It felt as though my name and professional integrity were under constant attack."

My Journey: Enduring, Leaving, and Overcoming a Toxic Leader and Work Environment Working in a toxic work environment can be an incredibly challenging and draining experience. When the toxicity originates from a

"It's not personal — it's business" is one of the most bogus phrases uttered in our workplaces. It's a way to deflect responsibility for choices. We are people. Our interactions are personal. We need to care about the impact of our choices.

"This year, onscreen explorations of evolved even as the issue lost its front-page standing. Artists found new angles and delved deeper into gray areas. Survivors were allowed to be flawed humans, not just one-dimensional heroes, and assailants were not just boogeymen but men and women with their own traumatic pasts. This made for more interesting art, but also, crucially, a more human reflection of the long-term trauma survivors suffer, which is rarely resolved in those triumphant moments, so beloved by Hollywood, in which a villain is exposed and a victim vindicated."

Pop Culture Reckoned With #MeToo in Radical New Ways in 2020—Even as It Receded From Headlines Several movies and shows in 2020—from Promising Young Woman to I May Destroy You—illustrate how sexual misconduct is getting more nuanced treatment onscreen, even as issues raised by the movement receded from headlines

Actions come from thoughts, and thoughts come from beliefs. But we can challenge those beliefs that don't serve us — often developed in childhood. In this episode, I talk about how to challenge limiting beliefs and how to then create new patterns that DO serve you in ways you prefer to feel served.

https://screw-the-hierarchy.simplecast.com/episodes/how-we-can-challenge-beliefs-that-dont-serve-us-so-we-can-create-new-patterns



Grab yourself a FREE copy of my Take Your Power Back Cheat Sheet to take your life back after abuse at work:
https://www.dignitytogether.org/take-your-power-back-cheat-sheet

http://www.endworkplaceabuse.com

When lawmakers are put in a position to share power (what they see as giving up some power), we've seen historical change only through years of advocates building power to put on the pressure.

Years of building power over the course of years is a movement, and that's what we're building so we can pass legislation with teeth to protect workers from workplace abuse.

We're here to make sure employers have incentive to address workplace abuse rather than ignore it or retaliate against you for speaking up (what their lawyers tell them is admitting harm under their watch).

We're growing rapidly, and we invite you to join us to pass protections for workers from abuse at work.

We hope to get the Workplace Psychological Safety Act introduced in as many as 20 new states and cities in 2025. And we need your help to get there.

If you'd like to join a state team or get the bill introduced in your state, visit https://endworkplaceabuse.com/lead/.

Don't forget to sign our petition to say you've had enough:
https://endworkplaceabuse.com/sign-the-petition/

Abusers use fight as a stress response. Targets often respond with fight, flight, freeze, and/or fawn.

WPSAct.org

Another way employers point the finger at anyone but themselves.

http://www.endworkplaceabuse.com

When we suffer in toxic work environments, we often feel alone and fearful. We may not know who else has experienced abuse at our workplaces. And we may fear retaliation for speaking up (since the outcome is often more abuse).

But speaking up collectively is what has the greatest chance of results. And going through the media (even anonymously) can give you your voice back your abuser took AND provide the accountability our legal system too often doesn't.

I'm tapping into that collective power that has the most likelihood of getting reporters' attention — to get employers to change their ways.

I'll contact reporters and/or hold a strike (based on options in your state) when at least three employees at one company report bullying and are willing to share their experiences, even anonymously.

Fill out the form using the link below, and if at least two others from your company (current or former employees) do the same, I'll setup a Zoom call so we can come up with a game plan to expose the toxic work culture at minimal risk to you.

Report your company for a toxic work culture:
https://www.dignitytogether.org/take-a-stand

We need a law.

Employers are not explicitly liable for the psychological harm of their employees, nor do they want to be. Employers choose to avoid a perceived threat of liability over human well-being.

The Workplace Psychological Safety Act takes that choice away and provides a cause of action for employees who suffer from psychological abuse at work.

Sign the petition to pass the Workplace Psychological Safety Act:
https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/pass-the-workplace-psychological-safety-act/

So much of workplace abuse is discrimination we can't prove.

Confronting the Uncomfortable Reality of Workplace Discrimination Organizational leaders can begin to address racial discrimination in the workplace by taking strategic actions.

Family and friends often care but don't know the best way to express it. They often don't realize that being with us in our pain and reflecting back our emotions to us helps us feel seen and heard. Take "just move on" with a grain of salt and know who actually understands what support looks like.

"A groundbreaking national effort to pass legislation — including in Massachusetts — that would ensure psychological safety by making workplace harassment illegal is gaining momentum. And Rhode Island may very well become the first state to pass such a law. On Tuesday, the state Senate overwhelmingly passed the Workplace Psychological Safety Act, which is now being considered before the House Labor Committee."

Fighting the office bully - The Boston Globe Rhode Island is steps away from passing a first-of-its-kind legislation that targets toxic workplaces.

There's nothing like the feeling of finally talking with people who get what you're going through after workplace abuse.

Join a free weekly virtual meetup for targets of workplace abuse so you can feel seen, heard, and understood — the first step on your healing path:
Wednesdays, 7-8pmET

If you'd like to attend, subscribe to the weekly reminder list:
https://www.dignitytogether.org/offers/ZgoJpkS2/checkout

Often times when we experience workplace abuse, we lose focus on who we are as people — in and out of the workplace.

Employers do not have the power to rob us of our dignity unless we give them that power. Learn how to navigate back to joy and all the vibrant ways we can dance with dignity. You’ve worked hard at work. Now it’s time to work hard at joy. Joy can come in many forms. Don't lose hope. Bet on yourself.

Those are words of wisdom from Dr. Kim McLear. She knows. She's one of us.

Dr. Kim McLear (“Just Dr. Kim”) is a public speaker, designer, and former whistleblower. She is global-minded changemaker with more than 20 years of experience spanning tech, community organizing, academia, and critical infrastructure protection. She is a former State of Union Guest of Honor and Congressional expert witness and has advised more than two dozen U.S. and state lawmakers on creating laws that promote healthy workplaces. Dr. McLear has delivered more talks around the U.S. and world about designing futures where all can flourish. Dr. McLear’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, Associated Press, Forbes, Shondaland, CNN, cover issue of Glamour (CROWN Act), The Today Show, and in two 2023 best-selling books. She currently is a U.S. trustee of the Royal Society of the Arts and serves on the American Psychological Association’s Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest.

Dancing with Dignity: Navigating Back to Joy after Workplace Abuse
Wednesday, August 14, 7-8pmET

Grab your ticket:
https://actionnetwork.org/ticketed_events/dancing-with-dignity-navigate-back-to-joy-after-workplace-abuse/

Workers across the nation are fighting for an end to abuse of power and for a common sense baseline of human rights — for the ultimate goal of fairness, opportunity, and health. In this episode, I talk about 24 active workers' rights bills we need passed ASAP — and how you can take action to move the needle on how employers treat workers in the U.S..

https://screw-the-hierarchy.simplecast.com/episodes/24-workers-rights-bills-we-need-to-pass-asap



Grab yourself a FREE copy of my Take Your Power Back Cheat Sheet to take your life back after abuse at work:
https://www.dignitytogether.org/take-your-power-back-cheat-sheet

If employers can't afford fair wages, they either shouldn't hire for the role or shouldn't be in business.

http://www.endworkplaceabuse.com

"After Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) employees publicly voiced concerns about a culture of abuse and mishandled sexual misconduct complaints, the museum hired an external consulting firm to assess its workplace environment. The results of the examination... paint a grim picture that implicates all levels of the museum’s leadership."

Philadelphia Museum of Art Concludes Workplace Assessment After Allegations of Abuse The results of the examination, shared with staff in an online meeting on Tuesday, July 28, paint a grim picture that implicates all levels of the museum's leadership.

We know men are often workplace bullying targets, and the statistics are quite alarming. Yet this abuse is rarely spoken about among men. Why is that?

Join Matt Paknis, author of Successful Leaders Aren’t Bullies, for an ongoing men’s group discussion about workplace abuse.

Participants will prioritize related topics to address their most pressing workplace abuse concerns.

Designated Thursdays, 7-8pmET via Google Meet

Register for reminders:
https://actionnetwork.org/forms/men-join-a-group-discussion-about-workplace-abuse/

"It isn’t acceptable, in any workplace, to physically abuse anyone. If a physical attack occurred, then it would be immediately addressed, and the initiator would be dealt with accordingly. However, if someone mentally or emotionally abuses someone, then these personal violations aren’t always addressed or taken seriously.”

Psychological Abuse Can’t Always Be Seen, But It Doesn’t Mean It’s Not Impactful Dr. Antoinette Candia-Bailey’s death-by-suicide and the alleged workplace abuses that led to her untimely passing are jarring. Yet, the…

"Workers, employment lawyers, human resources professionals, and others detailed their experiences with bullying and psychological abuse, including the loss of careers, income, and their mental and physical health. The testimony included stories of employees being ostracized; isolated; micromanaged; having their pay or duties changed; being left out of critical conversations, events and projects; and having their concerns go unanswered. Through tears, one woman described going to work “like going into a leopard’s cage.” An employment lawyer highlighted the single mothers he has represented who have been the targets of workplace bullying. “Why did they tolerate it? Because the rent is past due, because the electricity is shut off, because the oil tank is empty.”

The Workplace Psychological Safety Act made the Boston Globe:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/08/opinion/tanzina-vega-workplace-bullying-essay/
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/16/opinion/letters-to-the-editor-workplace-bullying/

Take action:
WPSAct.org

The psychological abuse of workplace bullying - The Boston Globe Massachusetts employment law covers discrimination against workers who are considered part of a protected class, which is defined by a person’s race or ethnicity, disability, gender, age, or religion.

"In the most extreme cases — Mario Batali, the Spotted Pig — abuse within the industry is covered extensively by reporters. What gets far less attention, even now, is the pervasive way this insidious behavior affects all aspects of restaurant work. The fact is that despite the progress of the Me Too movement, as well as the increasing presence of chefs from diverse backgrounds, restaurants remain a largely uncomfortable and unequal space for anyone who is not a straight, white, cisgender man."

We (Still) Need to Talk About Abuse in Restaurants As businesses reopen, we must discuss the industry’s pervasive sexism and rampant harassment.

It would be more useful for us to be able to ask bosses what THEIR weaknesses are since their competence affects our lives much more than ours affects theirs.

http://www.endworkplaceabuse.com