Maybe you were teased as a child. Perhaps as you grew up and waded through your awkward teenage years, you were ridiculed. But at long last, you have graduated high school and put those troubled years behind you. Perhaps not. Workplace bullying is now a growing problem for many industries, leaving professional adults feeling hurt and hassled, frightened and forgotten.
Similar to childhood bullying, workplace bullying is a repeat of offences causing traumatic responses – psychological or physical – to its victims. This type of abuse can be seen in many different forms and amongst many different individuals. The bullies will often berate their victims, threaten them, steal credit on projects, or make malicious comments against them. Most may think the culprit of these attacks would be primarily limited to managerial staff; however, this is not the case. Many times, the attacks are seen between coworkers and, in some situations, the subordinates may actually bully their superiors.
The effects that workplace bullying can have are staggering. They can range from physical responses such as high blood pressure or weight gain to psychological disorders such as insomnia, depression, or even thoughts of suicide.
Further, the employees may not perform their duties well because of their elevated stress and fear of causing disappointment. This, of course, is a never-ending loop: stress from the bullying causes them to work less efficiently, which then causes them to be more harshly bullied and punished, and so on. These individuals may experience a drop in self-worth or an inability to concentrate on certain tasks.
Apart from the effects on its victims, bullying in the workplace can also have damaging effects on the company itself. It can leave the work environment in a state of disorder and create hostility between the workers, thereby affecting their productivity. In some situations, legal advice may even be sought out which would cause a huge disruption for the company in question.
So what can be done to put a stop to it? The best way is to stop it before it starts. If you notice bullying taking place or are bullied yourself, be sure to seek advice from management or your human resources’ department. This leads to the next point: make sure to look for help from the right people. Do not let your fears and complaints fall on deaf ears; grumbling to a coworker about your injustices will not solve the problem.
Finally, be sure to stick together. Workplace bullying can cause a lack of cooperation and teamwork. To avoid succumbing to this, be sure to stay united with other staff. Often if you are feeling unjustified, you are not the only one.
