Workplace bullying can manifest in a variety of ways. A recent article on CNBC describes how bullies will manipulate situations in order to make their employees look inferior or inept. The article cites how many employers do not even become aware of bullying conditions in the workplace until departing employees list their complaints at the exit interview.
When thirty-five percent of the American workforce, some 54 million, in all, admit to experiences where they are bullied in the workplace, then the conditions are more pressing than most will admit. In a larger company, the bullies interact with fewer people and can go unnoticed for longer periods of time. In a smaller company, of course, a bully can touch upon everyone. It doesn’t take all that long for the staff to realize they have a jerk in their midst.
Close of t seventy percent of the bullying is gender harassment. Surprisingly, or not, female bullies target female employees. Most bullying practices are not so much physical aggression as psychological. Verbal abuse plays a large part of it.
The article reports a 2010 survey from Zogby International….”According to the Zogby survey, 45 percent of those who have been bullied at work say they suffer stress-related health problems, including panic attacks, clinical depression, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress. And they use paid time off frequently for “mental health breaks,” creating a heightened burden for smaller companies that need all hands on deck.”
