21/10/2026
Job Shimankana Tabane Hospital Promotes Awareness of Workplace Bullying and Employee Mental Wellbeing
Job Shimankana Tabane Hospital (JSTH) is emphasising the importance of recognising workplace bullying, protecting employees’ mental wellbeing and fostering a professional environment built on respect, dignity and accountability.
The awareness session, titled “Workplace Bullying: What to Look For and Skills to Cope,” explored the different forms of bullying, their potential impact on employees and practical strategies for responding to harmful behaviour. The session encouraged employees and managers to recognise the difference between ordinary workplace conflict, legitimate performance management and persistent behaviour intended to intimidate, humiliate or undermine colleagues.
Dr T. T. Tlhowe, Assistant Manager: Nursing (Mental Health), highlighted the importance of recognising workplace bullying and ensuring that employees know how to respond appropriately.
“Workplace bullying should never be normalised as part of our working culture. In a healthcare environment, where teamwork, communication and mutual trust are essential, employees must be treated with dignity and respect. Recognising harmful behaviour, setting appropriate boundaries and reporting persistent incidents are important steps towards creating a safer and more supportive workplace.”
Workplace bullying may take several forms, including verbal abuse, intimidation, humiliation, exclusion, gossip, deliberate obstruction of work and hostile communication through emails or workplace messaging platforms. It may occur between colleagues, involve individuals in positions of authority or involve groups targeting a particular employee.
From a mental health perspective, repeated exposure to bullying can affect an employee’s emotional wellbeing, confidence, sleep, concentration and ability to function effectively at work. Employees may experience anxiety, fear, helplessness, emotional exhaustion or symptoms associated with burnout
Ms Lesego Maretlwa, Clinical Psychologist, emphasised the importance of understanding the psychological effects of workplace bullying and responding in ways that protect emotional wellbeing.
“Workplace bullying is not simply an unpleasant interaction; when harmful behaviour becomes persistent, it can undermine a person’s sense of safety, confidence and psychological wellbeing. Employees should not blame themselves for being affected by such experiences. Recognising the impact, seeking appropriate support and developing healthy coping strategies can help individuals respond constructively. However, coping should never be confused with accepting or tolerating abusive behaviour.”
The session encouraged employees to regulate their emotions before responding to difficult interactions, communicate assertively, establish clear boundaries and distinguish observable facts from assumptions. Employees were also encouraged to document incidents, including dates, specific behaviour, witnesses and the impact on their work.
A practical framework presented during the session was C.A.L.M., which encourages employees to:
* Centre yourself: Pause and regulate your emotions before responding.
* Assert the boundary: Communicate calmly and clearly when behaviour is unacceptable.
* Log the facts: Keep an accurate record of incidents and supporting evidence.
* Mobilise support: Seek assistance through appropriate management channels, Human Resources, employee wellness services, union representatives or other relevant support structures.
The presentation further highlighted that not every workplace disagreement constitutes bullying. Constructive performance management should involve clear expectations, reasonable deadlines, consistent standards and an opportunity for employees to respond and improve. In contrast, persistent humiliation, intimidation, unfair targeting and the misuse of power may indicate a more serious concern.
Employees experiencing persistent bullying are encouraged to use established grievance and harassment procedures. Where threats, violence or immediate safety risks arise, appropriate protective measures and formal intervention should take priority.
Job Shimankana Tabane Hospital recognises that employee wellbeing is an important component of a healthy working environment. A culture of mutual respect, open communication and accountability supports staff morale, teamwork and the delivery of quality healthcare services.
The hospital encourages employees and managers alike to take workplace bullying seriously, address concerns through appropriate channels and contribute to an environment where every employee can work with dignity and without fear of intimidation or humiliation.
The message is clear: recognise the behaviour, protect your wellbeing and seek support. Workplace bullying must never be accepted as normal.
