When you were in high school, it was just the popular kids versus those who weren’t. And you thought it ended there. But when you were already in the rat race, you discovered there was also bullying at work. It can have serious negative effects on both the individual being targeted and the overall work environment. Here are a few signs that you are being bullied at work; reflect if any of them has happened to you:
🟩 Physical or verbal aggression
🟩 Exclusion or isolation from work-related activities
🟩 Intimidation or coercion
🟩 Unwarranted or excessive punishment
🟩 Unfair criticism or blame
🟩 Unrealistic or excessive workloads
🟩 Sabotage of work or resources
You or your colleagues should never stand by if people at work are getting bullied. Here’s what you should do:
☑️ Speak up. If you or your co-worker are being bullied, it is important to let someone know what is happening. This could be a supervisor, HR representative, or a trusted coworker.
☑️ Document the bullying. Keep a record of the incidents, including the date, time, and any witnesses. This can be helpful in seeking support and addressing the issue.
☑️ Seek support. Consider seeking support from a therapist or counselor, as well as friends and family. It can be helpful to have a network of people to talk to about the experience. Most people have been felt bullied at some point in their life; they can share their experience and maybe offer a tip or two.
☑️ Report the bullying. If the bullying is severe and ongoing, and clear malicious intent is present, report it immediately to your employer or a regulatory body. Your employer has a responsibility to provide a safe and healthy work environment, and reporting the issue can help bring about change.
You are a part of your team. It’s a living system that can only function best when its parts work harmoniously. Do not look the other way in bullying. Report what is happening and be part of the change. DCC believes that bullying is both the staff’s and the leader’s job to stop. Each teammate should report any incident, and every leader should be sensitive enough to know when it is happening. This is why our Organizational Development program looks at the company as greater than the sum of its parts. We know that bullying can only exist when it’s part of a toxic culture in your company. We’ll show you how to nip it in the bud. Please email us at info@davidcouperconsulting.com.