workplace bullying?
Workplace bullying is harmful, targeted behavior 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
behavior or job performance aren’t considered bullying.
But criticism meant to intimidate, humiliate, or single someone out without
reason would be considered bullying.
According to the Workplace Bullying Institute, more than 60 million working
people in the United States are affected by 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 color.
Since bullying is often verbal or psychological in nature, it may not always be
visible to others.
Read on to learn more about ways to identify workplace bullies, how
workplace bullying can affect you, and safe actions you can take against
bullying.
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 behavior as
unreasonable, it’s generally bullying.
Types of bullying
Bullying behaviors might be:
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 the 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 behavior 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 caused them and fear you’ll be fired or demoted. Thinking
about work, even on your time off, may cause anxiety and dread
