Bullying at Work: What Do You Know About It?

Definition of Bullying

Bullying is defined as a form of harm and abuse, where a person or a group of people direct verbal insults or physical assaults towards another person. In most cases, the bully aims to belittle the other party, mock them, and strip them of their self-confidence.

Forms of Workplace Bullying

Individuals practice bullying in the workplace through various methods and approaches. Below are some forms of workplace bullying:

• Assigning an individual tasks far below their job level and unrelated to their position to undermine them.
• Spreading rumors about a person to ridicule them.
• Ignoring the individual’s opinion and giving it no importance.
• Directing personal insults at the individual.
• Shouting at the individual and scolding them, especially in front of other employees.
• Hinting to the individual that they are unwanted in the workplace and should resign.
• Reminding the individual of past mistakes they have made.
• Picking on the person’s personal and physical traits.
• Excessively monitoring the individual’s work to catch minor mistakes they might make.
• Not allowing the person to receive their employee rights, such as using annual leave.
• Assigning the individual an excessive workload to pressure them as much as possible.

Reasons for Workplace Bullying

There are many reasons why bullies engage in this bad behavior at work. Below are the most notable reasons:

• Fear of Losing the Job

Employees strive to prove themselves in the workplace to keep their job and obtain higher positions. When they notice a distinguished colleague among them, jealousy can creep in, leading them to bully in order to draw their managers’ attention to the flaws of this successful person. They believe that through such behavior they can secure their job and elevate their value at work.

• Feeling Powerful

Some individuals seek to give themselves a false sense of control, often by trying to dominate their colleagues at work—especially those who are successful and calm by nature. Bullies feel stronger in the workplace when they engage in bullying.

• Jealousy in the Workplace

Some people feel jealous of their successful colleagues, especially when those colleagues receive awards or raises. Instead of learning new skills from these successful individuals, the bully tries to bring them down and prevent them from enjoying their achievements. The bully’s main goal becomes making the successful employee doubt their abilities and talents.

Tips for Dealing with Bullies in the Workplace

Remaining silent about workplace bullying is a big mistake. Several steps must be taken to deal with bullies, including:

• Review the organization’s or company’s policies on how to file a complaint against a bully, and submit a complaint to the manager or HR officer according to company policy.
• Record evidence of the bullying, keeping note of the date, time, and people present if you wish to file a complaint against the bully.
• Do not allow the bully to strip away your self-confidence; work on maintaining your confidence.
• Avoid taking the matter personally or thinking the problem lies with you; understand that bullying is the bully’s problem alone.
• Clearly and directly ask the bully to stop this bad behavior.