30% of employees have been bullied at work. Here's how to address it.
Are you routinely left off meeting invites at work? Do your co-workers always seem to know about opportunities for more visibility? Do you not receive the same information as your co-workers so you can do your job effectively? Does your boss yell, talk down to you, or make fun of you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are being bullied at work.
As adults, it can be difficult to recognize bullying because we thought we left the bullies in the hallways at school. We also tend to believe that by the time we are finessing the corporate world, there is no way we would allow someone to make us feel incapable or less than. If we do recognize it, we blow it off, make excuses for it, or act like it’s just a part of climbing the proverbial corporate ladder.
It may be normal in your environment or even accepted as corporate culture, but bullying is emphatically not okay. It contributes to depression, coupled with feelings of imposter syndrome and unworthiness. It also dictates low work morale, low productivity, and general overall unhappiness.
According to the Workplace Bullying Institute, 30% of employees have direct experience being bullied. One would think that working remotely would help with the bullying epidemic, but the same study showed that 43% of employees are still being bullied. Overall, this affects a whopping 48.6 million Americans who are being bullied at work.
For most of us, it’s easy to spot aggressive bullying, but what about when it’s subtle? Subtle bullying plays on a person’s psychological safety because it’s more difficult to prove. It can cause emotional and psychological damage, creating a toxic work atmosphere while undermining the well-being of targeted individuals.
One of the challenges with subtle workplace bullying is that it can be challenging to address. Victims may struggle to prove the existence of such behavior because it lacks the direct evidence found in more overt forms of bullying. Organizations must proactively address subtle workplace bullying by creating a culture of respect and open communication, providing training on recognizing and preventing such behavior, and implementing clear reporting mechanisms. Encouraging a supportive and inclusive workplace culture can help mitigate the damaging effects of subtle workplace bullying and promote a more positive and productive work environment for all employees.
The impact of subtle workplace bullying on your employees is overwhelming. People usually underreport bullying because they fear retaliation, potential career repercussions, or a lack of confidence in the organization’s ability to address the situation. Some studies have indicated that women experience subtle workplace aggression more than men, but it does affect all individuals. Most importantly, the long-term effects are devastating. Many victims experience ongoing emotional distress and difficulties in their personal and professional lives.
It is imperative that you are able to spot and stop workplace bullying. To help you understand subtle bullying, check out these examples:
As an employee, it can be challenging to address these things, especially if there is a power dynamic at play. But here are a few things to help:
I’ve heard it said that the heartbeat of any company is its people. If the people are the heartbeat, then the culture is the heart itself. A healthy culture looks connected, cohesive, and inclusive. Bullying damages the heart. And, when the heart goes, so does everything else.
Risha Grant is a DEI and bias expert and speaker who specializes in helping people find radical acceptance to un-do unconscious bias, micro-aggressions, and other actions that perpetuate discrimination and inequality in the workplace, especially for women of color. She is the author of the new book, Be Better Than Your BS: How Radical Acceptance Empowers Authenticity and Creates a Workplace Culture of Inclusion.
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