Bullies in the Workplace

Stamp Out Bullying at Work

Adults can be bullies too, and their behavior has costly economic and personal consequences. How to spot workplace bullying -- and what you can do about it. It’s a situation no one should have to face, but more than one third of people report they’ve been the target of bullies.

No, we’re not talking about childhood or teenage hurts — that’s the number of people who face abuse at work. Workplace bullying is a growing concern around the world, and it’s hurting both victims and companies. Are there bullies where you work? Here are some tips for spotting and dealing with the problem.

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What is Workplace Bullying?

When we think of bullying, we may think of taunting mobs or schoolyard fights, but it looks very different in the workplace. It could the person who constantly criticizes a co-worker, the boss who swears and threatens or the office clique who isolates and excludes others.

Experts define workplace bullying as a pattern of behaviors that are meant to intimidate, degrade, offend, exclude and humiliate a person or group. It can involve verbal abuse, offensive behaviors, mistreatment and outright sabotage. Malicious rumors and gossip — both online and off — are part of it too, as are making offensive jokes and gestures.

Other examples of bullying include:

-Attacking a co-worker’s skills and competence to undermine their credibility.

-Invading other’s privacy, such as spying, stalking and tampering with personal belongings or equipment.

-Setting others up for failure, like providing misinformation or withholding information necessary for projects or tasks, setting unrealistic deadlines or constantly changing expectations.

-Denying opportunities for training or promotion, or requests for leave.

-Unfair workloads. Some targets have responsibilities taken away from them while others are over burdened with extra work.

-Yelling and using threats and profanity.

Bullies and Targets

So how often does workplace bullying occur? Recent numbers can be tricky to find, but the most recent survey from the Workplace Bullying Institute’s (WBI) reveals some interesting trends. The 2010 Workplace Bullying Survey found that 35 per cent of workers have experienced bullying first hand. That’s four times the number of people who have experienced sexual harassment or discrimination.

Unlike schoolyard stereotypes, the targets of bullies aren’t “loners” or “weaklings”. Instead, they’re integral and valued members of the team. They’re hard workers, well educated, well liked and successful.

They aren’t rookies either. According to the survey, half of all past and present targets of bullying are between the ages of 30 and 49. Workers between the ages of 50 and 64 are next in line, though the number of incidences could be higher than reported because many people who were targets may have already left the workforce and weren’t included in the poll.

Does Gender Play a Role?

Does sex play a role? It depends on whom you ask. According to the WBI’s survey, the margin between men and women is slim — nearly 36 per cent of female workers report experiencing bullying compared to 33 per cent of males. However, other studies suggest that men are more likely to become targets than women.

Worst yet, many people who witness bullying are victims too — or become part of the problem. They often fear sticking up for the person and even withdraw friendship and support for fear of becoming the next victim. What about the perpetrators? Like their younger counterparts, adult bullies are often insecure, have low self-esteem, have poor social skills and lack empathy. Their insecurity leads them to try to cut down and exclude people who pose a threat.

Adult bullies also have an agenda of their own and use aggression to get ahead. It’s not surprising that the majority of bullies are in positions of power. According to the Canada Safety Council, over 70 per cent of bullies are bosses. Co-workers mostly account for the rest and subordinates are rarely bullies — after all, there isn’t much value in bullying someone higher up. Both men and women are bullies, though surveys don’t necessarily agree on the proportions. Some say men are more likely to be bullies than women, while other surveys claim the opposite. What most findings agree on is that men target both men and women, at almost the same rate, but women target other women in the majority of cases.

However, experts also warn that company culture plays a role in allowing bullying to occur. Most schools have a zero tolerance policy for bullying and procedures to deal with the problem, but employers are lagging far behind. A “tough management style” often isn’t recognized as bullying, and a highly competitive environment can encourage abusive behaviors. Positive consequences like promotions and bonuses reinforce bullying in cutthroat atmospheres, and everyone can get caught up in the culture.

How Harmful?

Bullying can have serious psychological and physical effects on individuals. The majority of targets experience stress, anxiety, depression, disrupted sleep and changes in appetite. Workplace stress can literally make people sick, and chronic stress is a known contributor to chronic disease. Many targets of bullying also turn to drugs or alcohol to cope. The stress also affects relationships with family and friends.

The majority of targets never get justice — instead, they face the financial burden of quitting or being fired. Bullying also hurts businesses as well. The hostile environment damages morale and hampers productivity. Victims of bullying spend between one tenth to half their work time worrying about their situation, defending themselves and seeking support.

The stress inevitably leads to costs like employee absenteeism, sick leave, long-term disability and job burnout. The issue can harm customer confidence as well as the company’s reputation. Then there’s the issue of employee turnover. Not only do businesses lose valuable workers, they’re also paying out severance packages and bearing the costs of recruiting and training new staff.