Workplace tensions: How and when bystanders can make a difference

• When employees hold political identities and perspectives that do not align with their co-workers, they perceive greater incivility from them, which can result in greater stress and burnout.
• Amid all this, bystander intervention has emerged as a key strategy for handling interpersonal conflicts.

The bystander’s dilemma

• Bystanders often experience moral anger toward those who they perceive as perpetrators and empathy for those they perceive as targets.
• These emotions, in turn, drive bystanders to support targets and penalize perpetrators.
• And this fear is not without merit; research has found that perpetrators often retaliate when individuals voice concerns about mistreatment.

• Even when bystanders do intervene, their actions can be ineffective, and, in some cases, counterproductive.
• Threatening messages are likely to be met with resistance from the perpetrator, who is then inclined towards self-protective action.

The perpetrator’s perspective

• This is especially the case when emotions are running high, making it difficult for individuals to consider alternative viewpoints.
• In such instances, perpetrators are likely to condemn intervening bystanders and may even react to them punitively.
• Talking to people in a safe setting and listening to different viewpoints can help perpetrators consider other perspectives.

• Powerful perpetrators tend to be less concerned about the social implications of their actions and are more likely to become defensive.
• In contrast, those with less power tend to be more dependent on others and, as a result, are more attuned to the expectations of their peers.
• It can be hard to convince such individuals to change their mind, unless the bystander has the power to impose change.

Strategies for effective intervention

Our research offers several practical recommendations for effective bystander intervention in the workplace:
Carefully consider the best time to intervene. Unless there is a clear risk to the target (and a safe way to meaningfully intervene), it is best to wait until emotions have cooled.
Intervene in ways that allow the other person to maintain their sense of being a good person and colleague. Focus on addressing their behaviour, not their personal attributes, values or beliefs.
Recognize that powerful bystanders and those trusted by the other person are more effective in eliciting constructive responses than those with relatively less power.

• As workplace tensions mirror global and social turmoil, the ability to step in, intervene and shape outcomes becomes ever more valuable, especially for vulnerable populations.
• The essence of bystander intervention is not just about stopping a negative act, but also about fostering an environment where respect, growth and collaboration thrive.

Sandy Hershcovis receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Brianna Barker Caza, Ivana Vranjes, and Zhanna Lyubykh do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.