Not so long ago, bullying in the workplace was a problem that was widely ignored. Thankfully, attitudes have changed and today many employers have policies in place to deal with workplace bullying. In addition, staff who feel they are being bullied have more opportunity to speak up and get help. But sometimes workplace bullying can be hard to spot and can sometimes be mistakenly interpreted as simply workplace banter or a difficult boss.
How can you spot bullying in the workplace?
One of the easiest ways to identify bullying in the workplace is to think about how the actions of others make the individual being targeted feel. For example, if you work in an office where practical jokes are common, you might be happy to laugh along when it’s your turn to be the butt of the joke. However, if you’re constantly being singled out and laughed at day after day, it will quickly stop being funny and be upsetting instead.
How bullying affects our health
For anyone who is being bullied at work it can be a very upsetting and stressful experience with many emotional and physical symptoms. Bullying can cause many problems from panic attacks and depression to a weakened immune system or headaches.Bullying behaviour in the workplace can be a serious drain on morale and productivity, harming not just the person being bullied but the entire company.
Examples of bullying
Sometimes bullying can be easy to spot such as name-calling or abusive language. But sometimes it is more subtle. Here are some of the ways bullies intimidate others in the workplace:
- Undermining your actions or constantly criticising your work, particularly in front of others
- Insisting that you work longer hours than you are contracted to, or making you miss breaks
- Directing ageist or sexist comments at you
- Making jokes about your appearance or personal life
- Giving you more work than you can realistically cope with
- Setting you up to fail in a particular task
How to cope if you’re being bullied at work
Sometimes the person behind the bullying behaviour might not appreciate that their actions are upsetting you. So if possible, start by having a quiet word with them to explain how you feel. Quite often, once they realise that their behaviour is upsetting you, they will stop.
If the bullying is more serious or you don’t feel able to confront the person directly, speak to your manager or HR team. Some organisations will have a policy in place to deal with bullying behaviour but even if not, they should still take your concerns seriously and find a way to address the problem.
When bullying behaviour occurs over several weeks or months, it’s important that you keep a record of the dates and times when events happen. If things escalate, this will provide important evidence if disciplinary or legal action is taken against an individual or a company.
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service aims to improve organisations and working life through better employee relations. If you feel you may be suffering from workplace bullying, visit their website for more information: www.acas.org.uk
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