We are at work the majority of the time. All of us deserve to feel relaxed and be at ease during our work, even if we don’t enjoy our job. Ideally, the workplace should be a friendly environment where everyone can work toward their goals without feeling overly pressured or scrutinized.

Bullying is often misconstrued as occurring exclusively in schools and one will never run into a bully again. As some people never mature, the academic setting isn’t the only place where it occurs.  Bullying is a common problem that is visible in varied age groups and demography. 

When we talk about workplace bullying, demeanors through spoken language and inappropriate actions and conduct are seen between employees or between employer and employee. Such demeaning actions and behaviors might psychologically harm a person or make him/her feel isolated while surrounded by co-workers. Bullying might include harmful physical contact or a pattern of behavior and repeated instances meant to terrorize, insult, denigrate, or humiliate a specific employee or group of people. Another way to put it, bullying is just an aggressive assertion of power.

The signs below indicate some of the ways how bullying happens in the office setting. 

Signs of Workplace Bullying

• Spreading gossip and nasty rumors.
• Excluding or socially isolating someone.
• Frightening someone.
• Actively undermining or obstructing another person’s job
• Threats of violence or physical harm.
• Removing obligations without justification.
• Job standards are always evolving without any logic.
• Setting unrealistic deadlines that will cause the person to fail.
• Withholding important facts or deliberately providing false information.
• Making “clearly inappropriate” jokes verbally or by email.
• Stalking, snooping, or other types of privacy invasion.
• Assigning excessive workloads or obligations in a manner that adds needless strain.
• Underemployment breeds a sense of helplessness.
• Yelling or using foul language.
• Continually or relentlessly criticizing someone.
• Insulting a person’s viewpoints.
• Unjustified (or undeserving) discipline.
• Denying requests for training, time off, or a promotion.
• Indulging and de-meaning a person’s private life.

Bullying may have a variety of negative repercussions on the victims. Among these responses is shock, anger, dissatisfaction or a sense of powerlessness, heightened awareness of vulnerability, and a decline in confidence. Physical signs include difficulty sleeping, a decrease in desire to eat, stomach aches, and headaches. Psychological signs include panic or worry, family stress and anxiety, hopelessness, depression, low self-esteem, social anxiety, low self-confidence, an inability to focus, and a lack of productivity and morale.

Ways to deal with workplace bullying:

1. Learn about the policies at your organization. Be sure to learn everything you can about the procedures for notifying supervisors and what they may do. Bullying at the office/job can be sorted by looking at the guidelines entrusted by the organizational framework or rulebook for appropriate employers’ or employee behavior. 

• Take time to analyze the situation. Before making any sudden reaction, assess the situation if you believe you are being bullied. You may be able to choose the most effective course of action only by being composed and grounded. Remember that individuals make mistakes while talking and display some unintended behavior that might be offensive to them. Take note if the “bullying” was a once-in-a-while incident or something that is happening over a period of time with ongoing abuse and harassment.

• Start off casually. You can directly speak with the bully and talk to them about your concerns and how their words or actions are affecting you. They may not always be aware of how their actions are impacting you. They could reconsider how they handled things if you talk to them about it.

• Inform HR or the Management. In many cases, it is impossible to directly face the offender. Instead, you must inform the appropriate parties of the situation. They will be able to act on your behalf to settle the matter, whether it’s management, HR, or your union.

• Keep whatever proof you find. If someone asks you to provide evidence for your accusations, having a note of the date, time, location, specifics, and names of any bystanders to bullying might be quite helpful. Save any terrible emails and keep track of the times you were excluded from important meetings.

• Reach out to a friend or your partner. Being the target of bullying is difficult. The feeling of being bullied can be psychologically painful. You might need someone to talk to about it rather than deal with everything alone. You can lessen the impact it has on your life by talking to someone you trust. You can also connect with an Online Counsellor who can listen to you and guide you in lowering your stress and anxiety.

• Opt for a formal grievance. Using the standard grievance process, you can file an official grievance if you believe your issue at work wasn’t taken seriously by those you told about it. A description of this procedure can be found in your employee’s manual.

It makes sense that many people are hesitant to speak out when they are being tormented, mistreated, or harassed. Perhaps they are worried about what people will think. Additionally, if the bully is their employer or another person in a position of authority, one’s job security is in question. Bullying, however, may have a detrimental effect on your general well-being, including your emotional and physical health. By putting things together, take care of yourself. Consulting with a mental health professional or Online Counsellor can help you deal with the stress of bullying and learn ways how to handle it. Online Counselling can help you explore what is happening/what happened, your options and responses, and how to cope with the impact of bullying.