Editor’s note: This article was first published in June 2011. The statements that outplacement agencies had not yet caught on in Spain and that the first associations for mobbing victims had only just appeared reflect the Spanish situation in 2011.
A reader recently asked us for a business idea that would also help workers in difficulty, many of whom are victims of mobbing, or workplace bullying. It isn’t easy to build a profitable business around this kind of situation, though it isn’t impossible either, because we’ll frame it as social entrepreneurship, or as a socially responsible company. The idea rests on partnering with, or creating, a philanthropic cause.
To begin, we first need to identify the need, which in this case is very clear. We’ll start with what a mobbing victim needs, so we know how to shape the business.
These people will need:
- Psychological support.
- Lawyers.
- And, most important of all, a job.
To meet the needs of this “customer”, or victim, your idea should include:
- Psychologists.
- Lawyers.
- A private detective.
- An outplacement (worker relocation) agency.
- Partnerships with associations for victims of mobbing or workplace bullying.
- Creating, or partnering with, social enterprises.
Psychologists
Obviously, their job is to ease the harm if it has already been done. They will know how to help the victim regain their self-confidence. In fact, you could also bring in a coach to bring out the best in that person again.
Lawyers
They will fight for the victim’s rights by taking the harasser to court, claiming compensation and, in any case, making the company pay. The aim is always that, if the verdict is favorable, the compensation is split between the victim and a social fund to keep up the fight for this kind of cause.
Private detectives
Whether on staff or subcontracted, they will be responsible for gathering enough evidence to be presented later at trial. Before filing a complaint, and above all before the victim leaves the company, it is essential that the harassment be recorded on video and/or audio. They should also gather testimony from coworkers who can describe how the process unfolded from the beginning and, if possible, find other people in the same company who have suffered the same harassment.
Outplacement agency
Outplacement agencies haven’t caught on in Spain yet, but that’s what we’re here for: to innovate. This kind of agency trains unemployed people and, at the same time, works with companies as a sort of “talent pool”.
In this case, and for what we’re after, our partners should be companies that support philanthropic causes. As we discussed in our article Business ideas with philanthropic causes, these businesses often receive funding from other kinds of investors, and even from financial organizations. These companies tend to hire workers who struggle to find employment, as well as people with intellectual or physical disabilities and victims of gender-based violence, so it shouldn’t be too hard to bring mobbing victims onto their payroll as well.
Associations for mobbing victims
The first associations for these victims have already been set up. They help people overcome and report their trauma, although very often the best therapy for a worker is to be offered a job where they are valued. In this business you should work with these associations and become part of them.
As I said at the start, turning this social work into a profitable business is complicated: you’ll have to pull a lot of strings, find people willing to help on a non-profit basis and, at first, raise funds for the cause. Once you manage to show that the business model is viable and sustainable, you could then go looking for the financing you need.
Clearly, we’ve pitched this idea on a large scale, providing these people with everything they need and supporting them from the moment they consider filing a complaint until they land a new job. Best of luck to any entrepreneurs who decide to start this kind of business.
Further reading
Featured image: tiyowprasetyo, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
