What is workplace bullying?
Workplace bullying is harmful, targeted behaviour that happens at work. It might be spiteful, offensive, mocking or intimidating. It forms a pattern, and it tends to be directed at one person or a few people.
A few examples of bullying include:
- targeted practical jokes
- being purposely misled about work duties, like incorrect deadlines or unclear directions
- continued denial of requests for time off without an appropriate or valid reason
- threats, humiliation, and other verbal abuse
- excessive performance monitoring
- overly harsh or unjust criticism
Criticism or monitoring isn’t always bullying. For example, objective and constructive criticism and disciplinary action directly related to workplace behaviour or job performance aren’t considered bullying.
But criticism meant to intimidate, humiliate, or single someone out without reason would be considered bullying.
Existing federal and state laws only protect workers against bullying when it involves physical harm or when the target belongs to a protected group, such as people living with disabilities or people of colour.
Since bullying is often verbal or psychological in nature, it may not always be visible to others.
Identifying workplace bullying
Bullying can be subtle. One helpful way to identify bullying is to consider how others might view what’s happening. This can depend, at least partially, on the circumstances. But if most people would see a specific behaviour as unreasonable, it’s generally bullying.
Types of bullying behaviours
Verbal. This could include mockery, humiliation, jokes, gossip, or other spoken abuse.
Intimidating. This might include threats, social exclusion in the workplace, spying, or other invasions of privacy.
Related to work performance. Examples include wrongful blame, work sabotage or interference, or stealing or taking credit for ideas.
Retaliatory. In some cases, talking about bullying can lead to accusations of lying, further exclusion, refused promotions, or other retaliation.
Institutional. Institutional bullying happens when a workplace accepts, allows, and even encourages bullying to take place. This bullying might include unrealistic production goals, forced overtime, or singling out those who can’t keep up.
Bullying behaviour is repeated over time. This sets it apart from harassment, which is often limited to a single instance. Persistent harassment can become bullying, but since harassment refers to actions toward a protected group of people, it’s illegal, unlike bullying.
Early warning signs of bullying can vary:
- Co-workers might become quiet or leave the room when you walk in, or they might simply ignore you.
- You might be left out of office culture, such as chitchat, parties, or team lunches.
- Your supervisor or manager might check on you often or ask you to meet multiple times a week without a clear reason.
- You may be asked to do new tasks or tasks outside your typical duties without training or help, even when you request it.
- It may seem like your work is frequently monitored, to the point where you begin to doubt yourself and have difficulty with your regular tasks.
- You might be asked to do difficult or seemingly pointless tasks and be ridiculed or criticized when you can’t get them done.
- You may notice a pattern of your documents, files, other work-related items, or personal belongings going missing.
These incidents may seem random at first. If they continue, you may worry something you did cause them and fear you’ll be fired or demoted. Thinking about work, even on your time off, may cause anxiety and dread.
Takeaway
Bullying is a serious issue in many workplaces. While many companies have a zero-tolerance policy, bullying can sometimes be hard to recognize or prove, making it difficult for managers to take action. Other companies may not have any policies about bullying. Taking steps to prevent workplace bullying can benefit organizations and the health of their employees.
Source: Healthline
