Bullying has been a concern linked to mental problems, stress, and suicides throughout the world. Primarily regarded as a childhood problem, bullying has been troubling adults as well.
Workplace bullying refers to repeated actions aimed at employees meant to insult them. Actions like this pose a risk to employees’ health and safety.
There is a difference between bullying and aggression. Aggression usually involves a single act. In contrast, bullying behavior involves repeated actions against a target.
It is a current pattern of behavior.
Bullying at work involves an abuse of power. Intimidating, humiliating, and degrading an employee are behaviors of bullying. It creates a feeling of helplessness in the bullying target.
Bullying behaviors might be:
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:
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.
Characteristics and Traits of a Workplace Bully
One may not be a workplace bully by just displaying bullying behaviors.
A workplace bully has selfish motives and a complete lack of respect for others. He does not care for others, never considers them equal, and uses all means necessary to impose his ways.
Some bosses may have high expectations from the employees to perform better. Such bosses may not necessarily be bullies. Employees generally do bullying to their peers.
Bullies display common behavioral traits such as anger and anxiety.
They are more likely to have a history of experiencing bullying in the past.
Bullies are also more likely to have experienced traumatic events in their lives. They are insecure about family relationships and friendships.
Also, they might suffer from low self-esteem. As a result, they pick on others.
An Australian study showed that bullies tend to come from dysfunctional families.
Workplace bullying is more likely to occur in stressful work conditions.
High workload, low job autonomy, and role uncertainty are signs of a workplace where bullying occurs.
Research has found that employees bullied in the workplace also tend to be victims of anger and anxiety. They are usually more irritable than employees who are not bullied.
Furthermore, results show victims are more intelligent than bullies. Such employees may outperform others and complete tasks faster in the workplace. As coworkers might not want this, they might force and bully such employees into lowering the bar.
Also, older employees may bully recruits.
Bullying associates itself with various mental and physical disorders. Bullying in the workplace affects both employees and employers alike.
In a workplace where bullying occurs, staff turnover and absenteeism are high. Productivity and morale are low among employees. Besides physical problems, employees also suffer from stress and anxiety.
Furthermore, the creativity of the employees gets suppressed due to low self-esteem. This affects their ability to cope with difficult situations.
The health problems caused by bullying cause feelings of helplessness among employees.
Bullying in the workplace may cause employees to experience-
Bullying affects employers in the following-
Statistics show that prevalence estimates of bullying vary greatly from country to country.
For example, Sweden was the first country to research workplace bullying. It was the first country to pass an anti-workplace-bullying law in 1993. On the other hand, North America hasn't passed any legislation addressing workplace bullying. Also, in Canada, only 4 out of 10 provinces have passed such legislation.
One reason for this variation may be due to the presence or absence of legislation. While some countries have passed legislation addressing workplace bullying, many have yet to do so.
In a country where there is no legislation on workplace bullying, there may be bills that have been considered.
Moreover, this variation may also happen because countries may view bullying behaviors differently. One may not view traditional bullying behaviors as "bullying" while the other may do.
Yes, bullying is a workplace issue. In Canada, occupational health and safety laws include the concept of due diligence. Due diligence means that employers shall take all reasonable precautions, under particular circumstances, to prevent injuries or incidents in the workplace. Every person should be able to work in a safe and healthy workplace. The legislation in your jurisdiction will describe the roles and responsibilities of workplace parties concerning workplace harassment and violence, including developing and implementing policies and programs. Definitions of harassment and violence often formally include bullying, but can be implied if not.
Please refer to the following OSH Answers documents for more information:
It is sometimes hard to know if bullying is happening in the workplace. Bullying can be very subtle and may be more obvious once a pattern of behavior is established.
Also, many studies acknowledge that there is a "fine line" between strong management and bullying. Comments that are objective and are intended to provide constructive feedback are not usually considered bullying, but rather are intended to assist the employee with their work.
As described by WorkSafeBC, bullying and harassing behavior do not include:
Prince Edward Island also adds that when done reasonably and fairly, the following actions are generally not considered workplace bullying or harassment:
How can bullying affect an individual?
People who are the targets of bullying may experience a range of effects. These reactions include:
Undoubtedly, it is high time that employers around the world view workplace bullying as the same as rape and sexual harassment.
Bullying in the workplace may lead to higher employee turnover and increased absenteeism. It causes a loss of productivity and also creates an inferior work environment. Furthermore, workplace stress increases, and employee morale decreases.
It affects your employees' physical health as well as their mental health. Moreover, bullying in the workplace tarnishes the reputation of the company. This will also deter people from joining the company.
Preventing incidents of bullying in the workplace will have many benefits for employers. In a healthy work environment, there are productive and motivated employees.
Bullying in the workplace can have legal implications for a company. It can reduce potential customer confidence and tarnish a company’s reputation.
The bottom line is that workplace bullying has serious effects on a company and also its employees. Lastly, employers must try and end bullying in the workplace.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/workplace-bullying#signs
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/bullying.html
https://blog.vantagecircle.com/workplace-bullying/
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