Putting a Stop to Workplace Bullying

by Norbert “Bert” Alicea
Workplace bullying is bad for morale, bad for retention, and bad for the bottom line. Today we present an article by Norbert “Bert” Alicea, MA, CEAP, vice president of EAP+Work/Life Services for Health Advocate, on identifying the problem and understanding its impact.

Most of us would like to think we left bullies behind in middle school. Yet, according to a recent survey from the Workplace Bullying Institute, 27% of adults report having experienced bullying in the workplace, and this number may be misleading, as many people are hesitant to report incidents of bullying. This issue not only impacts the individuals involved but also has negative repercussions for the entire organization, so it is critical that employers take steps to both prevent and address bullying in the workplace.
Identifying Bullying in the Workplace
The first step to address this issue is to know what to look for. Workplace bullying is a form of harassment and can include both verbal and nonverbal behavior that is threatening, humiliating, and intimidating. Often, this mistreatment is ongoing by one or more perpetrators against others in the workplace. Bullies may target a specific individual or multiple people in the office. Examples of workplace bullying include, but are not limited to:

• Frequently criticizing the work of colleagues or direct reports, despite excellent performance
• Constantly changing guidelines, deadlines, or scheduled meetings last minute
• Spreading hateful gossip about someone or purposely humiliating a colleague in front of others
• Isolating a colleague, such as leaving that person out of group events or “forgetting” to invite them to meetings or social gatherings
• Disturbing or tampering with someone’s personal items
• Intimidating or threatening someone

And, bullying does not have to happen face-to-face. Cyberbullying is prevalent in the workplace and can happen over e-mail, social media, and other online platforms. While surveys vary on the prevalence of cyberbullying, one study indicates that 14% to 20% of employees experience it on a regular basis.
According to the Workplace Bullying Survey, workplace bullying impacts 65.5 million employees across the country. The pervasiveness of this issue makes it critical that employers take action to protect their employees and put an end to workplace bullying.
Understanding the Potential Impact
Workplace bullying can create a ripple effect throughout an organization, from impacting revenue and creating legal challenges to increased turnover and lower morale.
Bullying in the workplace causes stress-related issues among employees, leading to absenteeism, presenteeism, reduced productivity, and other factors than can cost a company tens of thousands of dollars each year.
When employees are distracted or upset because of bullying or related issues, they are not able to perform at their best, so bullying not only causes companies to lose potential income but also can negatively impact employee morale as well.
Workplace bullying also generates extra costs due to turnover. Eighty-two percent of employees targeted by bullies leave the organization as a result. If this happens, the company must now spend time and money to recruit and train a replacement. This does not include lost revenue if that employee was responsible for specific clients or accounts that leave with them. And, if the bully remains employed with the company while a high performer leaves, it’s likely that the cycle will continue repeating.
Further intensifying the issue, each time an employee submits a complaint of bullying or harassment, the company must spend thousands of dollars investigating and resolving the issue, but this number can climb much higher if a lawsuit is filed.
Finally, bullying in the workplace is a drain on employee morale. When people do not feel comfortable or safe in the office, they are not engaged in their work or performing at the highest level. Even for people who are not the direct target of bullying, negative behavior within the organization contributes to increased stress, a reduction in trust among colleagues, a drop in productivity, and overall decreased morale. Workplace bullying can have a major impact throughout an organization, further demonstrating why employers should step in to address this issue.