You might think of bullying as something that just happens in the school playground, however, it is just as active in the workplace as it is in the playground.
The prevalence of workplace bullying in both the UK and US is far too high. According to data from the CIPD, 15% of people have experienced it, and 18% have witnessed it. In the US, a recent study by the Workplace Bullying Institute shows 30% of people experienced it and 19% have witnessed it there.
There is no legal definition of bullying here in the UK, but ACAS says bullying is behaviour from a person or group that's unwanted and makes you feel uncomfortable, including feeling:
- frightened
- less respected or put down
- made fun of
- upset
Whilst this list is not an exhaustive list, ACAS says examples of workplace bullying could include:
- someone has spread a false rumour about you
- someone keeps putting you down in meetings
- your boss does not let you go on training courses, but they allow everyone else to
- your boss keeps giving you heavier workloads than everyone else
- your team never lets you join social events
And that the bullying might:
- be a regular pattern of behaviour or a one-off incident
- happen face-to-face, on social media, in emails or phone calls
- happen at work or at work social events
- not always be obvious or noticed by others
Here in the UK when bullying or unwanted behaviour is related to any of the protected characteristics (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation) it is known legally as harassment and falls within the Equality Act 2010.
Workplace bullying can have several effects on the person experiencing it. It can knock their confidence and resilience, it can increase stress, negatively impact performance, affect motivation, it can even have an effect on mental and physical health.
And it’s not just junior members of staff who experience it, senior leaders can be the target of it as well. I have coached senior leaders who have been targets and coaching helped them to develop their resilience and get back to being the vibrant leaders they used to be.
Prior to the coaching, I was at a very low ebb having been quite badly bullied and having a low resilience level. I also had significant relationship issues with my manager.
What I liked was your approach to listening, playing back, challenging my perceptions (which were not actually reality) and providing tools and options for me to consider using as I move forward.
Through the coaching support and moving to a more positive environment I have regained my positivity and also now have the tools to help me as I move forward.
Coaching client
A study done by Kew, employment law specialists, found that 67% of employees at director level had been bullied, making them the most likely category to be targeted. They also found that 40% of female respondents said they had been bullied, compared with 31% of males.
The CIPD research mentioned above found that employees working in the public sector are significantly more likely to say they have experienced bullying (21% compared with 14% in the private sector and 10% in the voluntary sector).
How to address it
If you experience workplace bullying, and feel comfortable addressing it directly with the perpetrator, let them know the effect their behaviour has on you. They may not even realise the impact their behaviour is having. Keep to the facts and give specific examples.
If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to them, put it in an email. Get support from your trade union representative if you have one.  Keep a record of dates and times when it happens; witnesses; and any other relevant information. You will need this if the matter needs to go further.
If the bullying continues, or you don’t feel comfortable approaching them about it, your organisation should have a policy on how bullying should be addressed. Speak to someone in HR who will be able to advise you how to go about dealing with it. Or contact an organisation like ACAS if you are in the UK, or the Workplace Bullying Institute if you are in the US. If you are in another country, do an internet search for similar organisations that can offer you support and advice.
For those of you in the UK, under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, your employer has a legal duty to ensure your health, safety, and welfare, which includes protection from bullying at work.
Have you experienced bullying at work? If so, how did you go about addressing it? Please share below, you might encourage somebody else.
First published on LinkedIn.
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