SDSU Research Foundation (SDSURF) considers workplace bullying unacceptable and will not tolerate it under any circumstances from any employee, including supervisors, managers and executives.

SDSURF defines bullying as “repeated inappropriate behavior, either direct or indirect, verbal or physical, conducted by one or more persons against another/others at the place of work and/or in the course of employment when these actions cause another person to experience a reasonable fear that he/she will experience exclusion, humiliation, intimidation or the unlawful use of physical force.”

SDSURF considers the following types of behavior examples of bullying:

• Verbal bullying: Slandering, ridiculing or maligning a person or his/her family; persistent name calling that is hurtful, insulting or humiliating; using a person as the butt of jokes; abusive and offensive remarks.
• Physical bullying: Pushing, shoving, kicking, poking, tripping, assault or threat of physical assault; damage to a person’s work area or property.
• Gesture bullying: Nonverbal threatening gestures or glances that convey threatening messages.
• Exclusion: Socially or physically excluding or disregarding a person in work-related activities.

In addition, the following examples may constitute or contribute to evidence of bullying in the workplace:

• Persistent singling out of one person;
• Deliberately excluding an individual or isolating him/her from work-related activities, such as meetings;
• Encouragement of others to turn against the targeted employee;
• Shouting or raising one's voice at an individual in public or in private;
• Not allowing the person to speak or express himself/herself;
• Consistent ignoring or interrupting of an employee in front of co-workers;
• Public reprimands or public humiliation in any form;
• Repeatedly accusing someone of errors that cannot be documented;
• Being held to a different standard than the rest of an employee’s work group;
• Excessive monitoring or micro-managing;
• Constant criticism on matters unrelated or minimally related to the person's job performance or description;
• Manipulating the ability of someone to do his/her work (e.g., overloading, underloading, withholding information, setting deadlines that cannot be met, giving deliberately ambiguous instructions);
• Sabotage of a co-worker’s work product or undermining of an employee’s work performance;
• Assigning menial tasks not in keeping with the normal responsibilities of the job;
• Refusing reasonable requests for leave in the absence of work-related reasons not to grant leave.

Such behavior violates SDSURF’s Code of Ethics, which clearly states that all employees will be treated with dignity and respect.

Individuals who feel they have experienced bullying should report this to their supervisor or to Human Resources before the conduct becomes severe or pervasive. All employees are strongly encouraged to report any bullying conduct they experience or witness as soon as possible to allow SDSURF to take appropriate action.

The availability of this complaint procedure does not preclude individuals who believe they are being subjected to bullying conduct from promptly advising the offender that his/her behavior is unwelcome and requesting that such behavior immediately stop.

Employees found to be in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination. Contractors found to be in violation of this policy may be subject to contract cancellation.

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