Has it ever happened to you that your manager pressured you or forced you to do something against your will? Have you ever had a co-worker conspire behind your back? Bullying in the workplace is not a rare occurrence, and unfortunately, according to statistics, millions of people around the world face bullying in their workplace. In this article, we describe the types of bullying, examine its harms, and finally provide individual and organizational solutions to deal with it.
Signs of bullying in the workplace
Some signs of bullying in the workplace are familiar, and some are hidden. Bullying in the workplace comes in many forms, so we have provided a table of types of bullying with examples.
| type of bullying | examples |
| Hostile | Yelling, throwing things, lying to get someone fired |
| a tool | Spreading rumors, trying to defame a person |
| Direct | She was shouting, punching, openly blaming and shaming, sending rude messages, and displaying threatening body language. |
| indirect | Spreading rumors, not providing necessary information due to enmity with a colleague, and sabotaging one’s work. |
| obvious | Humiliation and ridicule, silencing a person in front of others, |
| hidden | Using gaslighting techniques, hiding necessary data from colleagues, and using soft and indirect blame. |
| up to down | Boss or manager bullying others |
| Horizontal | Peer-to-peer bullying |
| Bottom-up | Employees bullying their manager or boss |
| hybrid | A combination of the above three modes of bullying in the workplace |
In addition to the above, some other examples will help us understand better. Can you fit these examples into the categories above?
- forcing others to do something against their will;
- Deliberate exclusion of people from invitations to business meetings and seminars;
- Humiliating the worries and concerns of others;
- unfair criticism of a colleague;
- Directly or indirectly devaluing one’s abilities and skills;
- Setting unrealistic expectations or expectations that are too difficult to ensure failure.
Consequences of bullying in the workplace
Bullying in the workplace may have devastating consequences in different dimensions. These injuries do not end with leaving the workplace; not only is the individual injured, but the organization is also involved.
1. Physical and mental health
The experience of bullying in the workplace can have negative consequences for mental and physical health. Disruption of mood, nervous attacks, and stress are among the psychological injuries caused by this issue. Headache, mood swings, insomnia, or lack of sleep are among the physical injuries caused by it.
These injuries involve not only the individual but also his colleagues. For example, according to research, the witnesses of bullying are not safe from its physical and psychological harm.
2. Job Performance
Bullying in the workplace causes a general decrease in job performance because the victim cannot do his job well. He absents himself more and thinks of a solution to his problem instead of focusing on work. Decreased self-esteem, procrastination in decision-making, trying to hide from the bully, and finding a defensive solution all occupy the person’s mind. The victim’s confused mind does not allow him to function properly.
3. Organizational problems
The problems of bullying are not limited to the victim or those around him. Bullying can cause significant problems for an organization or business, including:
- creating a toxic, tense, and violent work environment ;
- negative impact on the amount of requested salary;
- increased absences;
- reducing the performance of various departments;
- additional costs to hire and train new employees to replace those who have left the workplace due to bullying;
- reducing employee commitment and loyalty;
- increasing the possibility of judicial and legal actions against the organization;
- Reducing the reputation and brand of the organization.
How do we deal with bullying in the workplace?
If you have experienced or are concerned about workplace bullying, the following methods may help you prevent it or curb its consequences.
1. Define your boundaries
When the bully misbehaves, tell him he is wrong and that you will take appropriate action against him if he does it again. Determining red lines in the workplace and creating boundaries that others must follow is an excellent way to prevent inappropriate behavior and bullying in the future.
2. deal with
After setting boundaries, if the bullying continues, you must have a strategy to deal with it. Note that confrontation does not mean retaliation or mutual bullying. Such behavior will only make the situation worse.
In the first step, you can ask the person to leave the environment or go away from the place yourself. Then, write down exactly what happened, and if there is any evidence, write it down. Document the bullying against you. If the bullying has stopped, there is no need to continue the story, but if the bully still does not give up on you, you should talk to your HR or manager and provide your documentation. If your organization or manager does not plan to deal with bullying, you can seek help from legal counsel outside the organization.
3. Take care of yourself
In addition to following up and dealing with bullies, you should pay attention to your mental and physical health. Stress reduction techniques, self-care exercises, and fun activities are good ways to reduce stress and the harmful effects of bullying. If necessary, you can also see a psychologist.
How do we deal with bullying in the workplace in an organizational way?
As mentioned, the consequences of bullying in the workplace are not limited to one person. Therefore, the organization’s leaders must determine a clear and effective strategy to deal with bullying. Unfortunately, some conventional methods of dealing with this phenomenon are ineffective. Therefore, before considering effective coping strategies, it is better to get acquainted with ineffective methods.
Inefficient methods
Inefficient ways to deal with bullying in the workplace include treatment instead of prevention, placing the burden of proof on the victim, focusing on the individual level of bullying instead of paying attention to its depth and extent in the organization, and ignoring hidden bullying. If the managers and leaders of the organizations use the said ineffective methods, they will not only solve the bullying but also cause it to take root.
Efficient methods
Most work environment problems are individual and result from organizational structure and culture. Although each type of bullying has different forms, its roots go back to the environment and human characteristics that people have. Methods based on prevention and treatment can make the workplace safe for other people if necessary.
Training managers and employees to use non-violent language, removing opaque or very strict schedules for doing things, trying to design work processes in such a way as to reduce stress, determining clear and precise criteria for reward and promotion, the possibility of anonymous reporting to the organization’s leaders and holding Confidential surveys are among the practical strategies that, if done correctly and with follow-up, may lead to reducing or even eliminating bullying in the workplace.
your experience
In the end, tell us about your experience of bullying at work. Have you ever been a victim? Does your organization have a plan to solve it? Please share your experiences and views with us in the comments section.
