Challenges
resource group (ERG) for
people with disabilities, the
group can lend support and
give you the unofficial scoop
on how your company handles
complaints, says Mendham,
N.J.-based consultant Nadine
Vogel, MBA, who provides
organizations with disability
etiquette and awareness training.
And if your workplace does
not already have a disability
ERG, you can ask your human
resources department about
forming one.
Finding a resolution
Some experts recommend
confrontation at the first sign
a coworker is mistreating you.
“That could simply mean
saying, ‘When you did this, I
felt uncomfortable about it,’ ”
says Alex Yaroslavsky, MILR,
NCM, a mediator and conflict
resolution expert based in
New York. “That alone makes
you less attractive to bullies.”
Before you do this, however,
evaluate how safe you feel
around the bully. If you feel
physically threatened, it is not
recommended to confront him
or her on your own.
If you still feel uncertain
about how to handle the
conversation, reach out to
discuss the problem. Call an
MS Navigator at 1-800-344-
4867, or call the MSFriends
program, where you can
talk to a peer with MS, at
1-866-673-7436.
If a direct approach doesn’t
work and one incident of
treatment turns into a pattern
of bullying, consider what
outcome you desire and
what you’re willing to do to
get there, Joffe says. Start by
reviewing your employer’s
policies to see if and how
bullying is addressed. Current
laws do not specifically protect
against adult bullying, in the
workplace or elsewhere (see
“The legal landscape,” pg. 53),
but your workplace may still
have some policies that you can
turn to your advantage.
If you decide to pursue the
matter with your employer’s
human resources department,
document in detail each episode
of bullying, so that you can
present specific information
to a manager. Save any emails
that display bullying behavior
or language; write down
the time, date and details of
in-person incidents. If you
haven’t disclosed your MS at
work, consider the culture
where you work and whether
managers and coworkers
would more likely react to the
situation with compassion or
