When Does Automating Away a Coworkers Job Cross The Line into Bullying

posted Wed, Sep 20, 2023 as part of the in-the-workplace series by darren horrocks

In a previous job, I found that a coworker was spending a full work week building an excel spreadsheet from our Azure DevOps data, so I spent about an hour writing a small program to replace his entire job. This triggered an arms race between myself and the coworker where they would slightly change what they added to the excel spreadsheet, and I would add that into the simple program (and then make it better). This went on for about 2 weeks until I was called into the manager’s office and was told that I was bullying the coworker by doing this, which I disagreed with.

This lead me to thinking about, when does automating away a coworkers job cross the line into bullying. Automating a manual process in the workplace is not inherently bullying. However, if the automation is implemented without proper consideration for the impact on employees, it can potentially be perceived as bullying or create a hostile work environment. There are both positive and negative aspects (which include aspects that could be considered bullying), they are as follows:

Positive Aspects of Automating a Manual Process in the Workplace:

• Increased Efficiency and Productivity: Automation can significantly enhance the speed and accuracy of tasks, leading to higher overall productivity.

• Cost Savings: By reducing the need for manual labor, companies can save on labor costs and potentially allocate resources to other areas of the business.

• Quality Improvement: Automated processes often result in fewer errors and a higher level of consistency in output.

• Time Allocation for Strategic Tasks: Employees can shift their focus from routine, manual tasks to more strategic, creative, or value-added activities that require human judgment and decision-making.

• Competitive Advantage: Companies that leverage automation effectively can gain a competitive edge in their industry by being more agile and responsive to market demands.

Negative Aspects of Automating a Manual Process in the Workplace (Potentially Involving Bullying):

• Job Displacement: Automation can lead to job loss for employees whose roles are automated, potentially causing financial stress and job insecurity. In some cases, if not handled with sensitivity and respect, the process of job displacement can be perceived as bullying.

• Reskilling Challenges: Employees may face difficulties in transitioning to new roles or acquiring the necessary skills to work alongside automated systems. Inadequate support or a lack of resources for upskilling can contribute to feelings of isolation and frustration, resembling a form of workplace bullying.

• Emotional Impact: Sudden or poorly managed automation can lead to feelings of exclusion, resentment, or fear among employees. If not addressed empathetically, these emotions can contribute to a hostile work environment.

• Potential for Errors in Automation: Depending on the complexity of the process and the quality of the automation, there may be instances where errors occur, potentially causing disruptions. Blaming employees for errors caused by automation, rather than addressing the root cause, can be considered a form of bullying.

• Over-Reliance on Technology: An excessive reliance on automated systems can leave a company vulnerable in situations where technology fails or requires maintenance. Pressuring employees to perform at an unsustainable pace due to overreliance on automation can be a form of bullying.

• Cultural Resistance: Some employees may resist automation due to concerns about job security or a preference for traditional work methods. Disregarding their concerns and forcing the adoption of automation without addressing these fears can create a hostile work environment, resembling a form of bullying.

It’s crucial for organizations to consider the potential negative impacts of automation and proactively address them with empathy and sensitivity to prevent any situation from resembling bullying in the workplace.

Update: Knowing what I know now (years later, and multiple companies later), I would have gone about this differently. Rather than just writing the application, I would have written a detailed case to my management. I would have detailed the amount of time taken to compile the spreadsheet by a staff member and the costs associated with that, and then detailed the amount of time and cost it would have taken to build the application and the ongoing maintenance costs. Companies talk money, and only money, not only would I not have been accused of bullying in this case, I would have been praised for saving a large source of inefficiency, and paid for writing the application.