Üsküdar University Founding Rector Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan evaluated for Anadolu Agency the importance of the circular on "Prevention of Psychological Harassment in Workplaces" and the negative effects of mobbing in the workplace on human psychology. Tarhan said, "Employees exposed to systematic pressure and intimidation in the workplace can experience mental breakdown in the long term."
The "Prevention of Psychological Harassment in Workplaces" Circular was published in the Official Gazette on March 6 with the signature of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
In a statement to an AA correspondent regarding the importance of the circular and the negative effects of workplace mobbing on human psychology, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said that psychological pressure and harassment can only be considered mobbing if they are systematic and continuous.
Tarhan emphasized that the circular, which brought mobbing to the agenda, is also important in terms of raising awareness about psychological harassment, and stated that this circular lays the groundwork for more effective investigations by highlighting public oversight.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan noted:
"Mobbing should not be limited to the private sector alone. Mobbing cases are frequently encountered in public institutions as well. In recent years, the obligation of public officials to treat those they serve equally and fairly, just as in the private sector, has come to the fore more often. For those who fail to fulfill this obligation, the implementation of the psychological harassment law, which came into force in the public sector in 2011, is of great importance. Because some citizens who carry out their transactions in public institutions state that they have to use antidepressants due to the stress they experience. This situation has an effect that shakes trust in the state."
Emphasizing that this regulation should be effectively implemented by the relevant boards, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, "The Public Ombudsman Institution and the Public Officials Ethics Board need to be actively operated. If citizens' trust in the state weakens, this situation will not be to Turkey's benefit. Therefore, the bureaucracy also needs to learn lessons from this circular."
Exclusion and gossip as types of mobbing
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that one of the behaviors constituting mobbing is the constant criticism and humiliation of an individual in society, and pointed out that doing this systematically and continuously is one of the fundamental elements of mobbing. Prof. Dr. Tarhan also emphasized that exaggerating a small mistake of an individual, while ignoring their positive aspects, is also an example of mobbing.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan explained that not greeting a person and ignoring them by isolating them is also considered a type of mobbing, and stated that assigning an employee tasks unrelated to their duty or an excessively exaggerated workload should also be considered within this scope.
Nevzat Tarhan said, "Systematic gossip about a person, spreading constant demeaning and negative rumors against them, is an indicator of mobbing, but it needs to be proven. Therefore, it is important for a person who believes they are subjected to psychological harassment to follow these steps: Keep a diary, taking notes such as 'On this day, at this hour, this event occurred in the presence of these people. Today, at this hour, he/she criticized me, but the reality is this.' Creating awareness and providing evidence for mobbing is of great importance."
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that for an individual to prove the mobbing they are subjected to, they should keep a diary for at least 4-6 weeks and try to document this process by presenting witnesses. Tarhan also emphasized the importance of the individual reporting effects such as stress, fear of going to work, and a decrease in work efficiency to the human resources department.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that managers with paranoid personality disorder adopt an oppressive and fear-based management approach in the workplace, and expressed that such managers try to achieve results through threats and intimidation.
"Excessive stress leads to errors"
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that in undeveloped societies, paranoid managers can achieve results with oppressive methods, but in developed societies, this approach backfires and is not effective because it is evaluated as psychological harassment based on illogical foundations.
Emphasizing that one of the most significant effects of mobbing is to reduce work efficiency, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, "Symptoms such as frequent doctor visits, an increase in illnesses, frequent arguments in the work environment, and employees constantly being on the defensive and alert are among the effects of mobbing. When stress levels rise, controlled stress can be beneficial, but excessive stress leads to errors. This situation increases communication errors, reduces productivity, and causes new problems to emerge while trying to solve existing ones."
Prof. Dr. Tarhan drew attention to the deterioration of individuals' mental health and an increase in stomach and intestinal problems in people exposed to chronic stress for a long time. He noted that when stress hormones increase in the brain, blood pressure rises, and burnout syndrome appears in the workplace along with various illnesses such as anxiety and panic attacks.
"In our culture, there are the concepts of 'kul hakkı' (rights of individuals) and 'vebal' (accountability)"
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that the difference between burnout syndrome and depression is that the individual loses the balance between their sense of responsibility and their work, cannot bear the burden, and feels inadequate, thus damaging their self-confidence. Tarhan emphasized that at the end of this process, the individual becomes unhappy.
Tarhan stated that psychological harassment in the workplace negatively affects mental health by increasing group stress, and said that individuals experiencing this situation might want to leave not only their workplace but even the country.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan continued:
"Various studies are being conducted on corporate loyalty, and psychological harassment is one of the important factors that negatively affect this loyalty. The most important elements that increase corporate attachment are an individual loving their job and the institution, gladly coming to work, feeling secure about their future, and the salary they receive. Psychological harassment directly affects the first two elements in particular, weakening employees' attachment to the institution. People, no matter how high their salary, prefer to distance themselves if there is no peaceful working environment. This situation applies not only to workplaces but also to family environments; a healthy child grows up in a peaceful family environment.
One of the most important responsibilities of institution managers is to maintain the balance between employer and employee, and to fulfill the obligation of fair distribution and equal treatment. In our culture, there are the concepts of 'kul hakkı' (rights of individuals) and 'vebal' (accountability). If a manager fails to do this, the concept of 'kul hakkı', which holds an important place in our belief system, comes into play, and in such a situation, managers become accountable."
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that US-style capitalism is currently dominant in Turkey, and underlined that competition should be based on a justice-based system rather than being ruthless, power, and success-oriented.