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Managers can still manage

New regulations about bullying in the workplace are designed to "allow managers to manage" but businesses still need to move quickly to establish procedures to make their operations bully-proof, according to Glenn Barned of RGB Enterprises, who offer services in the occupational health and safety field.

He held a workshop recently for members of the Duncan-Cowichan Chamber of Commerce, explaining to them what is involved with fulfilling the new requirements.

"The reality is that the definition on that side is very tight and the actual number of claims that go through is going to be quite small. We know that from previous history in other jurisdictions."

But the regulations have been tightened. "It's important to understand that a doctor can't just write a note saying: this person is under stress and he'll go off on a WCB claim because GPs can't write that note.

"For a worker to go off on a WCB claim, they have to be under the care of a psychiatrist or psychologist and they can say that that person has a mental disorder.

"GPs would have to refer them," Barned said.

The new definitions of bullying still means an owner or supervisor run a company or department as usual if they do it respectfully.

But, tight deadlines, normal stresses of work and similar situations will not be considered, he said, adding that some conflicts, too, are just part of life, he said.