Dealing with Difficult People: Bullying bosses, sensitive employees, and other challenging personalities

Work doesn't always bring out the best in people. Whether it's a demanding boss, hostile colleague, or overly sensitive employee, there are many personalities that can cause friction, and few workplaces escape without having at least one "character." But at what point does a prickly personality cross the line into harassment or bullying? Are there any behaviours that should raise suspicions of an underlying mental disability? When will a disciplinary response be appropriate? How can unions defend the difficult worker, while at the same time protecting members who are adversely affected by the behaviour? In this interactive workshop, an experienced psychologist, arbitrator, and legal counsel will lead participants through realistic scenarios, providing them with the knowledge necessary to:

• Identify the "personalities" or patterns of behaviour that consistently create problems in the workplace.
• Determine when behaviours maladapted to the workplace meet the definition of a "mental disability" triggering the duty to accommodate under human rights legislation.
• Reconcile the union's role in defending the difficult worker with its obligations towards members who are adversely affected by the behaviour.
• Distinguish between bullying behaviour and legitimate performance management.
• Effectively communicate with persons exhibiting difficult behaviours.

MATERIALS
Includes materials, with case summaries and analyses, prepared by Lancaster's legal staff.