Bullying is not just a problem for kids on the playground (though, to be clear, we are very much against wood chip throwing and swing-hogging). More and more, cases of workplace bullying are on the rise. And while this behavior doesn’t necessarily constitute harassment in the legal sense (unless it targets protected characteristics), it nevertheless negatively impacts the health of our workplaces — and ourselves. 

Let’s zero in on workplace bullying: what it looks like, how you can stop it, and the state of emerging legislation on workplace bullying.

What is bullying?

Broadly speaking, bullying encompasses a range of behaviors where an individual or group repeatedly targets another person with the intent to harm or control. These behaviors can be overt, like verbal abuse or threats, or subtle, like exclusion or spreading rumors. Common forms of bullying include:

  • Verbal abuse: Insults, derogatory remarks, or yelling.
  • Social exclusion: Deliberately isolating someone from work-related activities or social gatherings.
  • Manipulation: Undermining someone’s work, giving impossible tasks, or setting them up to fail.
  • Intimidation: Threatening behavior or gestures that create a hostile work environment.

Key characteristics of bullying

  1. Repetition: The negative actions occur regularly and over a period of time.
  2. Intentionality: The actions are deliberate and intended to cause harm.
  3. Power imbalance: The bully often holds more power, whether through a higher position, seniority, or social influence within the organization.
  4. Adverse effects: The target experiences significant physical, emotional, or psychological harm, impacting their work performance and overall well-being.

Examples of bullying in the workplace

Workplace bullying can come in many different disguises, some more obvious than others. And while the following is not an all-encompassing list, it can give you a general idea of how bullying might manifest in your workplace.

  • Career sabotage: unjustifiably negative performance reviews, threats of firing or demotion, impossible deadlines, tampering with documents, purposely withholding information
  • Harmful social behavior: shouting, profanity, blatant and pervasive disrespect, intentional humiliation, making offensive jokes, intentionally excluding someone from office culture, physical abuse, spreading malicious rumors or gossip
  • Gaslighting and nit-picking: criticizing without reason, frequent monitoring of work to the point where the target is unable to complete their tasks, insisting on perfection without specific guidelines or instructions for improvement
  • Disrespect of privacy: pestering, spying, or stalking, making negative comments on a coworker’s social media accounts, denying time off or a transfer to a different department

Bullying vs. harassment

Upholding company values means having the bravery to step up and call out harmful behavior like bullying, especially before it escalates. Equally important, though, is understanding the line between bullying behavior and harassing behavior so you’re able to provide the proper support and resources to your colleagues in times of need.

We get it — many of the bullying behaviors we’ve outlined so far sound a lot like harassment, right? But the difference between bullying and harassment is that harassment must involve a protected characteristic, like gender, race, or sexual orientation (to name just a few).

For example: if Tom gives Lonnie several unwarranted, bad performance reviews, that’s bullying. But if Tom gives Lonnie several unwarranted, bad performance reviews because Lonnie’s Dominican, that’s harassment.

There aren’t any federal laws against bullying, per se. Bullying is only actionable when it overlaps with discriminatory harassment. Workplaces are required to address situations that are:

  • Severe, and/or persistent;
  • Create a hostile environment in the workplace, and;
  • Based on an employee’s race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and religion.

It’s worth noting that when bullying enters into the realm of criminal activity (i.e. assault, stalking, theft, etc.), it also becomes legally actionable.

How bullying affects the workplace

Workplace bullying can have far-reaching consequences for both individual employees and organizations. At the individual level, employees who are targets of bullying often experience significant emotional and psychological distress. This can manifest as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem; a perfect recipe for decreased job satisfaction and engagement. The constant stress and fear of being bullied can also result in physical health issues, like headaches, insomnia, and GI problems. Over time, the compounded effect of these experiences can significantly impair someone’s overall well-being and performance.

Nevertheless, the impact of bullying in the workplace extends beyond the individual(s) directly targeted. It often creates a toxic work environment that affects the entire team. Witnessing bullying can lead to a climate of fear and mistrust, reducing morale and camaraderie. Colleagues may become reluctant to collaborate, communicate openly, or take initiative, fearing they might become the next targets.

From a business perspective, the repercussions of workplace bullying can’t be overstated. High turnover rates become the norm as employees seek to escape the hostile work environment — leading to increased recruitment and training costs. Absenteeism rises as affected employees take more sick days to cope with stress. Productivity is also likely to suffer, as disengaged employees contribute less effectively.

How to prevent bullying in the workplace: tips for employers

  1. Develop a Clear Anti-Bullying Policy: Establish a comprehensive anti-bullying policy that outlines unacceptable behaviors and the consequences of such actions. Ensure this policy is communicated effectively to all employees.
  2. Foster a Positive Culture: Promote a culture of respect, inclusion, and collaboration. Encourage employees to speak up against bullying and support one another.
  3. Provide training and education: Regularly conduct training sessions on recognizing and addressing workplace bullying. Educate employees and managers on the impact of bullying and how to intervene effectively.
  4. Implement reporting mechanisms: Create a safe and confidential process for employees to report bullying incidents. Ensure that reports are taken seriously and investigated promptly.
  5. Support victims: Offer support to those affected by bullying through counseling services, support groups, or other resources. Show empathy and understanding to help them recover and feel valued.
  6. Hold perpetrators accountable: Enforce the anti-bullying policy consistently. Ensure that those who engage in bullying behaviors face appropriate consequences.

The final word

Workplace bullying is a serious issue that can have devastating effects on individuals and organizations. By acknowledging the problem and taking proactive steps to address it, companies can foster a healthy, respectful, and productive work environment. It’s time to break the silence, stand against bullying, and promote a culture where everyone feels safe and valued. Together, we can create workplaces where bullying is not tolerated and everyone can thrive.

About Ethena

At Ethena, we’re committed to making corporate compliance training so good it sticks. In fact, ineffective harassment prevention training was the catalyst for why we were founded. 

Today, our modern and engaging approach to learning goes beyond check-the-box regulation requirements. With over 2.3 million ratings and a 93% positivity score, Ethena’s Harassment Prevention training course inspires learners to foster healthy, inclusive, and squeaky clean workplaces.


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