Workplace bullying is on the rise. Learn how to stop it.

Are you seeing signs of a bullying situation in your workplace? Read on to find out how you can create a bully-free workplace and  develop a positive workplace culture where everyone can thrive.

What is workplace bullying?

Workplace bullying happens when an employer or group of employees is mistreated, harassed, or intimidated by one or more individuals in the workplace. They can range from subtle forms of bullying to overt threats.

Some of the most common types of workplace harassment include exclusion, power plays, sexual harassment, cyberbullying, aggression, or verbal abuse.

What are the different types of workplace bullying?

Having an awareness of bullying strategies can minimize this negative behavior. Here are some of the types of bullying and how this behavior can manifest:

1. Aggressive behavior

This is the first thing that comes to mind when most people hear the word 'bully'. Intimidation takes the form of aggressive communication, verbal abuse, or even violence. When it comes to behavior, physical violence or open aggression isn't always a factor. In fact, intimidation can often be a more subtle and pervasive type of workplace bullying.

These types of bullies may invade the victim's personal space, make veiled threats, or other underhanded means of intimidation. This covert bullying is an insidious form of psychological harassment that can leave the victim with a sense that they've been targeted.

2. Exclusion

Another type of covert bullying, exclusion involves ignoring a person while engaging with other co-workers at lunchtime, during team meetings, and so on.

The bully might exclude a coworker from gatherings by not inviting them even though they've got as much a right to attend as anyone else. If questioned about it, they might brush it off as a simple oversight.

3. Power plays

These power dynamics are displays of dominance and aggression that involve a misuse of power, or lauding a position of dominance, over another employee.

This kind of bully might deploy this tactic with negative behaviors such as trying to take credit for someone else's work or swooping in to take opportunities that should really be given to someone else.

4. Sexual harassment

Sadly, workplace sexual harassment is common, and in some cases, it can become embedded in a workplace culture3. This may include offensive jokes, inappropriate comments or compliments, or unwanted flirting. In more serious cases, inappropriate conduct may include harassment, sexual advances, or sexual assault.

Why is it important to deal with workplace bullying?

Bullying, and its effects, can result in employee mental health issues, bad management, undesirable company culture, and reduced overall productivity².

If abusive conduct becomes widespread, stories can leak out to the public and damage your firm's reputation. Nobody wants to do business with a company of bullies, and not many people want to work in a place where bullies can get away with aggressive behavior. That is why adopting a zero-tolerance policy toward bullying is essential.

The detrimental effects of workplace bullying on mental health

Some of the mental health effects and other costs of bullying on an employee include³:

• Low morale/loss of motivation
• The inability to concentrate or complete tasks
• Lowered productivity
• Decreased job performance
• Social anxiety and avoiding people
• Anxiety and depression
• Stress, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and other mental health issues
• Reduced confidence and self-esteem
• Other consequences of stress such as high blood pressure, digestive issues, and a weakened immune system
• More frequent absences from work due to the above issues

Repeated bullying incidents can also cause trust issues within your team. Not just directly between the workplace bully and the targeted employee, but across the organization. If unchecked, this can foster a culture of secrecy, gossip, and paranoia.‍

Workplace bullying statistics

Workplace bullying is not specific to any single culture. In fact, statistics show that bullying is a common workplace issue across the globe.

A 2021 US workplace bullying survey found that 30% of adult Americans have been bullied at work⁴. 1 in 5 American workers have experienced threats, sexual harassment, or humiliation⁵. The most common form of bullying is same-gender bullying, which amounts to 61.3% of cases. The Covid-19 pandemic also gave rise to cyberbullying. In fact, 43% of US remote workers report being bullied. With more people working at home, there are more avenues for workplace bullying. These include emails, instant messages, calls, text messages, and even the use of social media networks.

In the United Kingdom, 1 in 4 workers have been bullied at work. In Australia, 37% of workers said that they have been cursed or yelled at in the workplace⁶. This verbal bullying costs employers up to $36 billion each year⁷. This figure includes both direct costs, such as legal action, and indirect costs, such as lost productivity and absenteeism.

Bullying is prevalent across the world, and creates a counterproductive workplace, taking a toll on employees and causing poor performance.

What are the main causes of bullying in the workplace?

Just as bullying behavior takes on many forms, it also has multiple causes⁸. These include organizational culture, individual, interpersonal, and cultural factors.

1. Toxic work environment

Some organizations directly or indirectly encourage bullying and a hostile work environment. In one Indonesian business, for example, managers resorted to intimidation because it was encouraged⁹. A competitive work environment may lead employees to bring one another down through bullying. A high-stress environment may cause some employees to lash out via bullying to cope with the high workload and expectations.

Organizations with unclear policies on bullying can't manage the harmful effects of the behavior.

Bullying may be worsened by the economic climate. In the UK, 84% of employees across the country are experiencing stress from inflation. Despite this fact, two-thirds of employers are not offering any kind of emotional or financial support. 62.5% of workers are considering resignation if employers do not provide more assistance in this time of crisis.¹⁰

2. Cultural factors

Some cultures, such as the United States, value competition and individualism. These can be healthy traits in the workplace or they can lead to bullying¹¹. For example, a colleague up for a promotion may become insecure about the accomplishments of another candidate. To undermine that person, the colleague may start to spread false rumors or use unfair tactics to ensure their own promotion.

Sub-groups can also have their own cultures, which can promote bullying in different ways, and this can start in youth¹². For women, bullying is often accomplished via reputational damage. Victims experience bullying through gossip or through bullying events focused on humiliation. For men, bullying is often accomplished via power plays, such as taking undue credit for another’s work. Bullying, in other words, is gendered, rather than gender-neutral¹³. In the workplace, men and women face varying instances of bullying¹⁴ as well as effects on mental health¹⁵.

3. Individual factors

People are not just products of their culture, colleagues, and organization. The strongest issue when it comes to bullying is environmental factors. For example, a bully might have witnessed or experienced an abusive home life or school bullying in the past²¹. These bullies often lack empathy and self-esteem due to this abuse. As a result, they suffer from long-term effects such as poor mental health. They can showcase aggressive behavior as a means of gaining power over others, usually through bullying. There is a victim mentality at work here. They believe the only way to protect themselves from being a victim again is to become the aggressor.

4. Interpersonal factors

Bullying is often not just the individual or the organization, it's the intersection between the two. In this case, bullying is a crime of opportunity¹⁶.

When a person with low self-control and poor emotional skills joins a well-managed organization, there is less of a chance bullying will be tolerated – so it’s less likely to happen at all. When the same person enters into a poorly run organization, they have a window of opportunity for bullying and bad behavior. Since their actions will be overlooked, or even encouraged, the toxic employee can bully colleagues with impunity.

There is more nuance to these interpersonal factors. Workplace bullies tend to be mediocre performers¹⁷. These bullies target their high-performing colleagues because they are jealous. They want to do whatever they can to bring high-performers down, so the power differential lessens. These bullies may steal credit, spread rumors, or engage in other underhand tactics. The best way to shut down this type of bullying is transparency. Asynchronous tools such as Trello create a paper trail that prevents credit stealing. Organizations must have a clear way of giving promotions, raises, awards, and other benefits to minimize the impact of bullying. This way, victims of bullying will not suffer from any long-lasting effects.

Mediocre performers also tend to bully low performers¹⁸. The goal here is the same. By bringing these people down, the bullies hope to use the power imbalance to bolster themselves in the workplace. Since low performers may fear speaking out, companies should try to read between the lines on any employee survey. Promoting an inclusive workplace will also curb instances of bullying¹⁹.

Unfortunately, interpersonal factors may be worsened by remote work. Employees may have trouble communicating on formal channels such as Slack or on social media platforms. Some colleagues may be sensitive, finding offense in critical comments that were intended constructively. Other colleagues may phrase messages that can be misinterpreted²⁰.

Thankfully, crucial skills such as emotional intelligence (EQ) can be improved for remote and office work environments. Honing in on these skills can help you, whether you are being bullied or find yourself bullying others. Learn more about yourself in relation to your team by taking the free F4S assessment. You can set up a team and invite your team members or key stakeholders to join. F4S can be used by teams to better understand one another.

F4S team dashboard

This can aid collaboration and conflict resolution. Improved EQ will lessen the prevalence of bullying, reduce social exclusion, and prevent other harmful behaviors. Conversely, a higher EQ will promote positive behaviors among colleagues, which will strengthen peer relationships.

Once you’ve identified key areas for growth, F4S can help you improve your emotional skills with a self-paced coaching program.

Once you have set a goal you’ll receive a detailed guide with personalized insights to support your success. Our people analytics will help you understand how you think, act, and communicate at work.

How to overcome bullying in the workplace?

If you find yourself in a situation where you are being bullied, there are a number of ways you can address it.

1. Stand up for yourself

Not all bullying warrants an immediate escalation. The perpetrator may not have even intended to offend you. By calling attention to the issue, you show your discomfort about what was said or done. You also establish that you are willing to stand up for yourself, which may get many bullies to back down.

2. Document everything you see or experience

If the pattern of behavior persists, you should document each incident. Record a timeline of events and include what the bully did, which other coworkers were present, and where and when this happened. Because the bully may outright deny these allegations, you may also want to keep any relevant evidence. You may have emails, messages, or videos of what transpired during the encounter.

3. Make a formal complaint

Who to report bullying to will depend on the situation. If the person bullying you is a colleague, it may be best to consult with upper management. If it’s your boss who is bullying you, you may need to confer with human resources. Provide the person with copies of all the evidence you have gathered.

In some markets, organizations have already been trained on how to handle such incidents and have a bullying policy in place. WorkSafe New Zealand provides best practices to combat bullying²². Organizations are advised on how to identify incidents, who should deal with these incidents, and what to do in response. While workplace bullying is not illegal, organizations must provide a safe workplace to employees²³.

4. Seek support from people you trust

Bullying is not only a professional problem – it is an emotional one. Targets of bullying may suffer negative effects on their self-esteem and wellbeing. As a result, bullying victims should seek emotional support from friends, family, and other loved ones. If you feel that the bullying is causing adverse effects to your mental, or physical health, you may wish to consult a health professional.

5. Seek government support or intervention

In the UK, bullying itself is not against the law²⁴. Bullying becomes illegal when it is based on a protected category. Examples include age, gender, racial differences, disability, or sexual preferences. When bullying is based on such a protected category, it is by definition harassment. Employees who are victims of harassment are advised to escalate the issue. They can begin with their manager, then the HR department, and finally a trade union representative if the issue is still not resolved.

In Australia, employees can turn to the Fair Work Commission (FWC), a national workplace relations tribunal²⁵. The FWC deals with reports of bullying as part of the Fair Work Act. Each Australian state and territory has a workplace health and safety body that can help with workplace bullying as well²⁶.

You need to be aware that not all markets have existing anti-bullying legislation. The United States, for example, has only introduced a Healthy Workplace Bill²⁷ that aims to protect bullying victims. While it has not yet been signed into law, 31 states have introduced the bill as of 2023.

6. Consider resigning from the organization

In some workplaces, a bullying culture may be deeply ingrained. The organization may even be the one committing institutional bullying. In these instances, it may be better for the employee to leave than try to stay and change the culture.

Upon leaving, the employee can seek legal recourse if they feel the bullying merits this course of action.

Taking proactive actions such as these requires a deep understanding of who you are and where you stand to improve. Fingerprint for Success offers coaching that can provide multiple benefits to you, whether you’re the bully, the bullied or in a position of power. With coaching, you can increase your motivation, communication abilities, and other interpersonal skills. In turn, you can better understand yourself, engage with colleagues, and contribute to a positive work environment that shuns bullying and prizes collaboration.

How to stop workplace bullying if you're a manager?

As part of the leadership team, you need to make high-stakes decisions about how to protect your employees from the risks of bullying. By fostering a positive environment and building an inclusive culture, you can help stamp out bullying and other toxic behaviors. Here's how you should do it:

1. Address bullying quickly, fairly, and professionally

This means not exacerbating the situation by being overly critical of either party. Instead, you want to take a measured approach and follow the official steps for disciplinary action. You can't always stop workplace bullying overnight, but letting someone know that you're aware of what's going on might make them think twice next time.

2. Don't forgive high performers

You may consider the culprit to be a high performer. However, it's important to consider the ramifications of their behavior on others. One bully can lead to declining performance outcomes across the board if you allow their behavior to go unchecked.

3. Take bullying claims seriously

It doesn't matter if the bullied worker tends towards the dramatic sometimes, or if you know the perpetrator means well with their comments or jokes. If someone reports that they're being bullied, they need to be listened to, and the incident needs to go through a proper investigation procedure. Be sure that you have an open-door policy for employee concerns or claims of bullying.

4. Develop an anti-bullying workplace policy

A formal policy in an employee handbook will ensure that everyone knows what workplace bullying is and it will help to build a healthy working environment. You can also create systems for anonymous reporting, address all employee complaints, and make it clear to all employees what the consequences are for bullying and abusive behavior.