Workplace bullying examples
Workplace bullying can severely disrupt the workplace. It’s not only unpleasant for the person experiencing the bullying behaviour, but also for those who witness it.
Employees enduring bullying often experience heightened levels of stress, anxiety and even depression, which can manifest in both their personal and professional lives. The toxic atmosphere created by workplace bullying can also stifle creativity, inhibit collaboration and negatively impact company culture and employee job satisfaction.
Recognising and addressing bullying behaviours is vital when it comes to fostering a healthy work environment where employees feel valued, respected and safe. In this article, we take a closer look at some of the behaviours that can be considered workplace bullying, before discussing the best ways to manage and address these actions.
What is workplace bullying?
Workplace bullying is more than just butting heads with another employee or being on the receiving end of constructive criticism – it’s a persistent pattern of behaviour aimed at intimidating, humiliating or undermining a person or team.
Bullying can take various forms, including verbal, non verbal, physical and psychological, ranging from subtle acts to more overt behaviours.
By understanding the defining characteristics of workplace bullying – including its often-persistent nature and the power dynamics that help it operate – we can better identify and address instances of mistreatment in the workplace, fostering a culture of respect and inclusivity for all employees.
It’s important to understand that the intent behind workplace behaviour is not important when it comes to employees making a claim of being bullied or harassed. The examples of bullying below are considered harassment whether or not they were done with intent to bully or cause harm.
What are signs of workplace bullying?
Workplace bullying isn’t always easy to spot. This makes understanding what kind of behaviours constitute bullying all the more important. When it comes to bullying in the workplace, examples include:
Verbal abuse
Physical abuse
Psychological abuse
Whether it’s repeated condescending remarks from a superior or deliberate exclusion from team activities, the intent is to exert power. This means the bully will often hold some form of authority or influence over their victim. Unfortunately, this power dynamic only heightens the impact of bullying and makes it challenging for victims to speak up or seek help.
By shining a light on examples of workplace bullying – whether it be ongoing criticism, micromanaging, excluding someone from a group, or even physical intimidation – organisations have to remove toxic behaviours and create a culture of mutual respect and support.
Examples of workplace bullying
Workplace bullying isn't always obvious, but its effects can have a big impact on productivity and company culture. Bullying can take many forms, such as:
Making offensive jokes
Excluding an employee from certain activities
Gossip
A manager setting unrealistic deadlines
Below we cover some common examples of bullying and harassment in the workplace and explore how to recognise and address them.
Spreading rumours
This form of bullying involves spreading false information or gossip about someone. Not only can it seriously damage a person’s reputation and their relationships within a workplace, but it can also contribute to a general culture of distrust. Examples of this kind of bullying include intentionally making up and spreading information, or disclosing private details about someone in order to ruin their reputation.
Belittling comments
Belittling comments involve constantly criticising, demeaning or undermining someone’s abilities or contributions. This behaviour can erode a person’s self-esteem and confidence in their work, creating an unpleasant and hostile work environment. This could be someone constantly putting down your ideas in a meeting or criticising your ability in the workplace to make you feel incapable or bad at your job.
Humiliation
This form of bullying involves actions or comments intended to embarrass or put someone down in front of others. Under the umbrella of humiliation, public criticism, mocking and making derogatory remarks about a person’s abilities or personal characteristics are all examples of bullying in the workplace. For instance, a manager might publicly ridicule an employee during a team meeting, causing humiliation and undermining their confidence.
Offensive jokes
Offensive jokes aren’t just those that target someone’s race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or other personal characteristics. They can be any joke or “humorous” comment that creates a hostile and discriminatory work environment, making the targeted individual feel marginalised or unwelcome. For instance, making a sexist joke or using racial slurs, even when they are not directed at a coworker, is an example of offensive bullying behaviour.
Undermining work
This form of bullying involves deliberately undermining or sabotaging someone’s work or contributions in the workplace. It can include stealing credit for their ideas, discrediting them or giving them menial tasks below their skill level. For example, a coworker might intentionally withhold important information or resources needed for a project, sabotaging the success of their colleague’s work.
Gaslighting
Gaslighting is a manipulative tactic used to make someone doubt their own perceptions and memory. It involves denying or distorting reality to the extent that the victim might question their own experiences and judgments. An example of gaslighting in the workplace could be a manager lying about the details of a conversation and saying the employee has misremembered, causing them to doubt themselves.
Unrealistic deadlines
Another less obvious form of bullying is a manager setting excessively tight or unrealistic deadlines as a way to put pressure on employees. It can create undue stress and anxiety, leading to burnout and low morale. For instance, a supervisor might regularly assign projects with impossibly short deadlines, disregarding the pre-existing workload or the reasonable capabilities of their team members.
Making employees feel useless
Constantly criticising or devaluing an employee’s efforts or contributions can make them feel worthless or unappreciated. This can include dismissing their ideas without consideration, micromanaging their work or withholding praise for their achievements. For example, a supervisor might nitpick and try to find fault with an employee’s work, undermining their confidence and sense of worth.
Excluding someone from activities
Intentionally excluding or isolating a someone from team activities, meetings or social gatherings is a form of social bullying. It can make the targeted person feel ostracised or like they don’t belong in the workplace community. For instance, coworkers might purposefully leave a certain employee out of team lunches or after-work gatherings, excluding them from bonding opportunities.
Personal attacks
Directly targeting someone with insults, derogatory remarks or aggressive behaviour is an example of a personal attack. This can include verbal abuse, threats or even physical intimidation. For example, a coworker might verbally berate a colleague in front of others, using derogatory language and demeaning remarks to intimidate and humiliate them.
Threatening comments
Making explicit or implicit threats towards someone, whether physical, emotional, or professional, is a form of bullying. It can create fear, anxiety and a sense of insecurity in the targeted person. For example, a supervisor might threaten to demote or fire an employee if they don’t agree to unreasonable demands, using intimidation tactics to exert control.
How to manage workplace bullying
If you feel you’ve experienced any of the behaviours above, make sure to:
- Gather evidence
- Keep a record of any instances where the bullying is occurring, along with how these actions impact your wellbeing
- If possible, collect any statements from witnesses
- Speak to the person who is bullying you (if you feel comfortable)
- Speak to a trusted person, like your manager or HR department
Managing workplace bullying means taking proactive steps to address and resolve the issue. Because it often falls on the victim to instigate change, taking these steps can be difficult, due to fear of retaliation, not wanting to upset workplace relationships, or feeling like reporting won’t change the situation.
However, there are tools and resources you can use for addressing and managing workplace bullying. Here are some steps you can take.
1. Call the bully out on their behaviour
One way to manage workplace bullying is to address the behaviour directly. Bring it up with the person in a professional setting, where you can talk about it in a calm and rational way. Be sure to provide specific examples to back up your concerns and remind them that their behaviour is unacceptable.
2. Lodge an official report to management or HR
Another way to address workplace bullying cases is to lodge an official report with your supervisor, your company’s management or HR department. Before you go to HR, make sure you collect as much evidence of the bullying as possible, documenting any incidents as soon as they occur, including aggressive or insulting comments and any other verbal, non-verbal, physical or psychological mistreatment.
In your report, outline the details of the bullying behaviour and its impact on your wellbeing. Emphasise that you wish for action to be taken to put a stop to the issue.
3. Stay away
During the investigation process, limit your interactions with the person in question to avoid further conflict. Temporarily distancing yourself from the situation can help alleviate stress and protect your wellbeing while the issue is being investigated.
The effects of bullying can’t be understated, and impact not just the victim but those around them. Employers are obligated to provide a work environment where everyone feels safe and is treated fairly, free from intimidation or harassment.
If you are experiencing or witnessing bullying, there are steps you can take to address the situation, and free resources if you need them.
FAQs
What defines workplace bullying compared to a disagreement with a colleague?
Unlike a simple disagreement, bullying generally involves repeated and unreasonable actions, aimed at intimidating or undermining someone. Workplace bullying creates a stressful and toxic environment, affecting the wellbeing and productivity of the person it’s directed at.It generally requires intervention to ensure a resolution. Rumour-spreading, personal attacks and gaslighting are just a few workplace bullying examples.
Can bullying be non-verbal or is it always through spoken words?
Bullying can be non-verbal, which can be more difficult to spot. Examples of nonverbal forms of bullying include:
Hostile body language
Excluding a person from a situation
Giving someone an unreasonable amount of work
I feel constantly stressed and belittled at work, but it’s not always yelling. Could this be bullying?
Yes, feeling constantly stressed and belittled at work, even without being yelled at, could constitute workplace bullying. Bullying can include subtle or indirect forms of intimidation, as outlined in the article above.
What resources are available for someone experiencing bullying if they’re afraid to report it directly to their employer?
If you don’t feel comfortable reporting it to your employer, you can refer to Worksafe for other actions you can take. If you’re being physically threatened, you should call the police.
As a manager, what steps can I take to prevent bullying within my team?
As a manager, you can prevent bullying within your team by promoting healthy forms of communication, setting clear expectations around workplace behaviour, and leading by example through respectful treatment of all employees. You can do this through:
Regular discussions and training around workplace conduct
Training on conflict resolution
Promptly addressing any signs of bullying behaviour
Are there legal repercussions for employers who allow bullying in the workplace?
Employers who allow workplace bullying may face legal repercussions under workplace bullying case law. Employers in New Zealand have a duty of care outlined in the Health and Safety Work Act 2015 to provide a safe work environment, and failure to address bullying can result in legal action.
