The Psychological and Physical Effects of Bullying in the Workplace

Workplace Bullying

This case study will focus on the psychological and physical effects of being bullied in the workplace both in person and through social media outlets. Until recently, I feel like workplace bullying has been seen as playful teasing. But people are now realizing that bullying is bullying and it is unacceptable regardless of one’s age or occupational position. This bullying ruins people’s lives and tears their confidence down. People are driven to quit their jobs or even go as far as committing suicide because of this harassment. Workers’ health is not the only thing affected by workplace bullying. Companies suffer because their employees are preoccupied with other worries and this causes them to be less productive. Unfortunately, there are no current policies specifically addressing workplace bullying, but I do believe that solid laws will be formed soon enough.

What is workplace bullying? What are the statistics?

Workplace bullying can be a very grey area. What one person may consider as being harmless, playful teasing, may not be that amusing to another person. “Workplace bullying has been defined as ‘the repeated, malicious, health-endangering mistreatment of one employee (the Target) by one or more other employees (the bully, bullies)’. To be identified as bullying, the behavior has to occur regularly, repeatedly, and over a period of time” (Harthill). According to the Workplace Bullying Institute's national scientific surveys in 2007 and 2010, 35% of adult Americans report being bullied at work. That comes out to an estimated 54 million workers (Work Doctor).

Workplace “bullying is four times more prevalent than illegal harassment” (Give Me), and yet, it is technically still legal. The U.S. is the “last...

... middle of paper ...

...e company to lose efficient employees and gain unnecessary extra costs. Even though there has yet to be an official law that specifically references workplace bullying, developments in the law are gaining momentum and hopefully, this will lead to a federal law in the next decade or so. But until that happens, because of the serious effects of bullying on employers and employees, it would be wise for companies to take internal steps to address workplace bullying through zero tolerance policies, training, and counseling. Bullying is a health and safety issue and employers have a responsibility to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of their workers. Most importantly, it must be noted that bullying can thrive only in a workplace environment that tolerates it. This is why the workplace should make it a priority to promote a safe, trusting, and healthy environment.