Workplace bullying is the persistent mistreatment of an individual or group of individuals by one or more persons in the workplace. This can take the form of either physical or emotional
abuse and can cause serious harm to those affected. It can include such tactics as verbal, nonverbal, psychological, physical
abuse, workplace
cyber-aggression and humiliation. This type of workplace aggression is particularly difficult to deal with as, unlike the typical school
bully, workplace bullies often operate within the established
rules and policies of their organisation and their
society. In the majority of cases, bullying in the workplace is by
someone who has authority over their
victim and uses their position and power to do this. However, bullies can also be peers, and occasionally subordinates.
Workplace bullying can be covert or overt. It can appear as overbearing supervision, constant criticism, and the blocking promotion chances and may be missed by superiors, or it may be known by many throughout the organisation and ignored. Its negative effects are not limited to the targeted individuals, but can result in an overall decline in employee morale and can even lead to a detrimental change in organisational culture. It is one of the
clear signs of a Toxic Workplace so if this happens to you, or you see it happening to others, it might be best to start looking for a new job.
“Malcolm has reduced
Angie to tears again. Just look at the smirk on that fat
bastard’s face.”
“Yeah, it’s workplace bullying and his
boss doesn’t do anything about it.”
