About Workplace Bullies

Bullies aren't found just on playgrounds. Tormenters often show up in the workplace. While grade-school bullies use their fists to intimidate victims, in the workplace, belittling comments and criticism are often the bully's weapons.

Misconceptions

Provisions under federal law protect employees from being discriminated against based on race, sex, age, disability or religion, but there are no specific laws to protect employees from being bullied on the job.
According to the Workplace Bullying Institute in Bellingham, Washington, over 54 million people have been bullied while at work. In other words, this epidemic affects one out of every six working Americans.

Identification

Any co-worker can be deemed a workplace bully, but most often a bully is a boss or member of management.
A sign that you are being targeted by a bully at work is if you constantly feel intimidated. Common types of bullying include: being the subject of excessive gossip; constant criticism of your work; constant reminders of past mistakes; exclusion from certain meetings; isolation from other employees; humiliation; and insulting comments on your habits, personality or private life.

Effects

Forty-one percent of victims of workplace bullies suffer from depression, while over 80 percent report problems with productivity due to anxiety, lack of focus and the inability to sleep. In addition, 31 percent of female victims and 21 percent of male victims report symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to Gary Namie, a psychology professor at Western Washington University.

Prevention/Solution

Protect yourself from workplace bullies. Get witnesses to the humiliating acts done by the bully. Document the behavior and incidents. Report the behavior to Human Resources. Demand respect from the bully through a verbal confrontation (be professional).

Warning

Handling a bully in the workplace is a different from handling a bully in the schoolyard. Always remain professional, and never stoop to the bully's level of immaturity. However, never tolerate physical threats or confrontation. Immediately report any physical threat to someone of higher authority or to the police.
Most often, the goal of the bully is to get the victim to quit or to provoke behavior that will get the victim fired, so do not let him win.

Resources

• Workplace Bullying Institute
• Bully Free Workplace
• Legislative campaign against bullying