News Roundup: Job Growth and Accusations of Bullying

Government data shows continued but mild job growth in the healthcare sector during the month of October. And an HR problem in the NFL dominates headlines for another week and raises questions about hostile workplace cultures beyond the locker room.

October 2013 Job Growth Moderate
Healthcare continues to create jobs despite the brisk pace of mergers and acquisitions, which are often associated with job losses. These jobs are not growing at the same rate as just a year ago, however.

The preliminary data in the Employment Situation Summary [PDF] released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics says "Health care employment increased over the month (+15,000). Job growth in health care has averaged 17,000 per month thus far this year, compared with an average monthly gain of 27,000 in 2012." The unemployment rate bumped up slightly to 7.3%.

Employment increased in leisure and hospitality, retail trade, professional and technical services, manufacturing, and healthcare. As in recent months—October, September, and August—growth in the healthcare sector took place primarily in ambulatory healthcare settings (11%). Hospitals (2.2%) and nursing and residential facilities (1.8%) showed relatively modest expansion.

Accusations of Workplace Bullying
The HR story of the week is the still-unfolding situation surrounding two Miami Dolphins players, the Dolphins organization, and the National Football League. If you missed it, here's a recap: Offensive tackle Jonathan Martin abruptly left the team Oct. 28, following a lunchroom incident with his teammates.

Dolphins guard Richie Incognito was suspended by the team indefinitely on Nov. 3 after allegations of bullying and harassment surfaced. Details of Martin's allegations against his teammates came to light this week. His attorney, David Cornwell, said Thursday, "For the entire season-and-a-half that he was with the Dolphins, [Martin] attempted to befriend the same teammates who subjected him to the abuse with the hope that doing so would end the harassment. This is a textbook reaction of victims of bullying"

As for the NFL, it now says it will investigate, a process that it says could take weeks. The repercussions could impact the Dolphins front office and eventually league rules about hazing, harassment, and behavior among players, coaches, and other staff.

How did things get so bad? Is this what the culture is like in other NFL locker rooms?

I don't know the answers to either of those questions, but I sense that the root of Miami's current mess—the organization's alleged brutish culture—is nothing new. What is new is our reaction to a case of alleged bullying in a wholly unexpected setting.

School bullying, long ignored, has received national media attention in recent years following teen suicides that apparently came after harassment. This trend may have opened the door for the Dolphins' saga to surface.

This sordid tale of alleged player-on-player violence has me thinking about hostility in healthcare settings, in particular among nurses. Harsh workplace cultures are intractable. If you've ever worked in one, you know they stem from top leaders who more often than not, unknowingly lead by miserable example. The noxious environments that result are more often fueled by indifference than by malicious intent.

HealthLeaders has written about "lateral hostility" among nurses and the need for nurse leaders to step up and change an old pattern of backstabbing, intimidation, and hostility.

The Wall Street Journal has called the NFL locker room "An Office Without Human Resources," but HR can't change a fetid culture, not by itself. The need for change must be acknowledged and must begin at the organization's top.

Veterans Day
Veterans Day (today) is one of those tricky holidays that, outside of the federal government, is observed inconsistently by states, municipalities, schools, and businesses. The post office is closed, but your child's school may be open. Your bank may be open, but the one across the street may be closed.

Workers at hospitals and health systems outside of the federal system may or may not get paid time off or be paid at the holiday rate, which may lead to questions from employees. If you're a non-federal employee, your organization sets its own holiday and vacation policies. This FAQ from the U.S. Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs may help clear up any questions.