Staffing
What is staffing?
In the classic definition of staffing, this term refers to the planning and filling of job positions. However, the topic of staffing is also increasingly appearing in another, informal sense, describing a new social phenomenon in organizations. Staffing at work is sometimes used as a colloquial term for a situation in which coordinated actions of employees against a supervisor occur. This phenomenon consists in systematically undermining the authority of the superior, his competence and the skills of the superior, often in order to eliminate him from the organization.
Characteristics of the phenomenon of staffing
In the practice of staffing, employees take various forms of action, such as disregarding the instructions of the superior, undermining the competence of the boss, spreading gossip behind his back, ridiculing, humiliating the supervisor or questioning his decisions regarding the tasks and duties of the employee. In extreme cases, persistent harassment occurs, long-term harassment can lead to the violation of personal rights and negatively affect the mental health of a person who becomes a victim of staffing or harassment.
Staffing vs. mobbing and employer’s responsibility
The phenomenon of staffing is sometimes referred to as reverse mobbing, because it is the supervisor who becomes the target of subordinates’ actions. In the case of mobbing, the employer allows for organizational liability if it does not react to the violation of employee obligations. In some cases, these actions may be considered a gross breach of employee obligations, which may result in disciplinary penalties such as a reprimand, and in the most serious cases, even termination of the contract or termination. Severe consequences may apply to employees who commit actions that undermine authority and the employment relationship.
Staffing at work – possible causes
The possible causes of staffing are complex. Often, there are unfulfilled demands of employees, conflicts over the supervisor’s instructions, lack of acceptance of his competence or the authority of the superior. Another reason can be organizational changes, management style, as well as cases where employees feel a lack of support or unfair treatment. The reasons for this phenomenon are also related to organizational culture and the way of communication in the team’s work.
Prevention and prevention
Employers, in order to reduce the risk of staffing, should analyze relationships in teams, use tools such as anonymous surveys, and respond to signals of undermining authority or violation of instructions. A quick response, clear rules of responsibility and protection of both the supervisor and other employees from escalation of the conflict are crucial.
Staffing, understood as a form of reverse mobbing, is a phenomenon that requires special attention from HR and the employer. It can lead to organizational chaos, reduced work efficiency and serious legal consequences. Conscious recognition of the cause and appropriate preventive actions allow to reduce the risk of eliminating the supervisor in an informal and destructive way for the entire organization.
