Workplace Bullying: A Growing Problem with Invisible Injuries

When you think of bullying, do you automatically think of kids on a playground? If so, you may need to rethink your paradigm.Bullying isn’t just a problem for children. It’s a serious problem in the American workplace today.

According to a 2007 Zogby / Workplace Bullying Institute poll:

• 37% of American workers have been bullied at work

• 13% are currently being bullied

• 24% have been bullied in the past

A SHRM 2011 Survey found:

• 50% of companies report incidents of bullying

• 27% of HR workers have been bullied personally

Bullying is a real and present problem in the American workplace.Targets are personally affected and lasting damage is done.

Definition

Workplace bullying is . . .

• repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators.It is abusive conduct that is:

  • threatening, humiliating or intimidating, or

  • work interference—sabotage—which prevents work from getting done, or

  • verbal abuse (Workplace Bullying Institute)

  • when one person, typically (but not necessarily) in a position of power, authority, trust, responsibility, management, etc., feels threatened by another person, usually (but not always) a subordinate who is displaying qualities of ability, popularity, knowledge, skill, strength, drive, determination, tenacity, success, etc. (Tim Field, Bully in Sight)

  • repeated behavior, actions and practices directed at one or more workers, which may be carried out deliberately or unconsciously, but which are unwanted by the targets, causing humiliation, offence and distress, and which may interfere with job performance and/or cause an unpleasant working environment. (Einarsen & Raknes)

It frequently includes the following:

• criticism, fault-finding

• undermining

• marginalizing, ostracizing

• isolation, exclusion

• singling out, different treatment

• belittling, demeaning, degrading, ridiculing

• threatening, humiliating

• offensive, inappropriate language at target

• taunting, teasing

• unrealistic, moving goals—setting target up for failure

• denying information or support

• starving of resources

• overloading or underloading with work

It differs from harassment in some significant ways.It is typically not physical nor on the basis of external traits (gender, race, etc.), but rather on the basis of perceived threat.It is typically a long lasting process that “gradually tears down the victims through prolonged exposure to repeated negative acts.” (Vie, Glaso, & Einarsen)

Effects

Workplace bullying slowly deteriorates its targets until they are fired, resign, or for “unknown reasons” disappear.It is psychological warfare that systematically undermines the health and well being of those it focuses on.Some of the effects of bullying in the workplace (sometimes called ComplexPTSD) include:

• constant stress / anxiety

• frequent illness (immune deficiency)

• aches and pains (with no apparent cause)

• headaches / migraines

• exhaustion / fatigue

• sleep disturbance (nightmares)

• G.I., skin problems (stress-related)

• poor concentration

• sweating, panic attacks

• frequent tearfulness

• irritability

• hypervigilance

• hypersensitivity

• reactive (vs. endogenous) depression

• shattered self-confidence

Targets lives and careers are often ruined as a result of prolonged bullying.

Traits of Bullies

Bullies have most often been characterized in popular culture as oafs, lacking social skills and using brute force rather than more advanced human means to achieve their desired ends.They have also been thought to have low self-esteem, acting mostly out of a deep insecurity.This concept has been challenged in the psychological research.Many have shown that, contrary to popular belief, many bullies actually have high self-esteem.Perez et al. (2005) have postulated a theory that suggests that bullies may actually have either low or high self-esteem that is highly unstable.Often bullies have the following traits:

• inadequate performance (resulting from laziness)

• underdeveloped

• narcissistic tendencies or pathology

• low emotional intelligence

  • low self-awareness

  • low interpersonal empathy

  • extroverted? (Randall, 2001)

Perez and others have postulated a model of the narcissistic bully, who does what he does out of a sense of entitlement rather than insecurity.

Traits of Targets

Contrary to stereotypes, targets of workplace bullying are usually:

• conscientious

• capable (capability envied by the bully)

• self-effacing, humble

• well-liked

• empathetic

• giving, generous

• holds self and others to high standards

• strong sense of justice, fairness, integrity

• introverted? (Randall, 2001)

These high-performers are seen as threats by the bully who envies the success and results of the target.Typically, the bully wants their level of success without the effort required.

Organizational Indicators

Spotting existing bullying in your organization is key.Catching it early, before more serious damage occurs to targets is important.How will you know if it's happing in your organization?Here are some of the potential symptoms and indicators of bullying in your organization:

• high staff turnover (in particular departments with certain managers)

• high sickness and absenteeism (with employees under certain managers)

• stress breakdowns and other symptoms of excess stress

• deaths in service

• ill=health or early retirements

What Can We Do?

The United States is dead last when it comes to effectively addressing this workplace issue. It is still legal in the U.S. to bully others in the workplace. Other countries around the globe (Sweden, Great Britain, France, Australia, Ireland, Canada) have clear anti-bullying laws in place. A version of the Healthy Workplace Bill, which would make bullying illegal, has been proposed in 25 U. S. states but has not yet been passed in any. If this serious problem is not only destroying targets but hindering the overall health, engagement and productivity of our workplace, what can we do to stop it? Here are a few of the things we can do:

• Raise cultural awareness (education)

• Create positive cultural peer pressure (non-bullying culture)

• Create and enforce clear anti-bullying and non-retaliation policies (sample policies are available online for SHRM members)

For those in the Boise, Idaho area, I will be speaking on this subject at this year’s Workers Compensation Conference hosted by the Idaho Industrial Commission on October 23, 2014.For information, click here.

References:

www.bullyonline.orgEinarsen, S, & B. I. Raknes.(1991).Mobbing i arbeidslivet: En undersokelse av forekomst og helemessige konsekvenser av mobbing pa norske arbeidsplasser.Universitet i Bergen: FASH.Field, T.(1996).Bully in Sight: How to Predict, Resist, Challenge and Combat Workplace Bullying.Oxfordshire, UK: Success Unlimited.Namie, G., & Namie, R.(2000).The Bully at Work: What You Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity on the Job.Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.Perez, M., Vohs, K., & Joiner, T. (2005).Discrepancies between self and other-esteem as correlates of aggression.Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 24(5), 607-620.Randall, P.(1997).Adult Bullying: Perpetrators and Victims.London, UK: Brunner-Routledge.Randall, P.(2001).Bullying in Adulthood: Assessing the Bullies and Their Victims.Sussex, UK: Brunner-Routledge.Vie, T. L., Glaso, L., & Einarsen, S.(2010).Does trait anger, trait anxiety or organizational position moderate the relatiohship between exposure to negative acts and self-labelling as a victim of workplace bullying?Nordic Psychology, 62(3), 67-79.