Comparison of the prevalence of psychological harassment and other psychosocial risks between the public and private labor sector of Puerto Rico.

Abstract

This study is part of a broad and ambitious research study that aims to contribute to the understanding of psychological harassment (bullying) and other psychosocial risks in the work place in Puerto Rico. Central to the study is a managerial and ethical perspective. This frst article focuses on gathering empirical data to describe the psychological harassment in Puerto Rico, examining behavioral aspects also recorded in previous studies. Moreover, this study further advances the literature on the topic, documenting the prevalence of other psychosocial risks like the burning out phenomena, contractual insecurity, violence and sexual harassment. It also compares the perceptions of 1,452 employees of the public (including those of the University of Puerto Rico) and private sectors. The results revealed that the prevalence of mobbing and the employee burnout syndrome are the highest in the labor market context of Puerto Rico. The study also found that, on one hand, the victims are in isolation, contributing to feelings of loneliness and on the other, the bullies act with the impunity that the silence of the witnesses and the inaction of the management of the organization provoke. The absence of appropriate protocols to manage the phenomenon is partly to blame. The results also revealed that the mobbing manifests diferently depending on the specifc sector, having the sample of the UPR the widest repertoire of harassing behaviors and the higher prevalence among them. Handling the psychological harassment properly requires legislative action and proper protocols in the public and private arenas, as well as educational campaigns at all levels of the educational system.