Workplace Bullying is repeated, mistreatment of one or more people in a place of work by one or more coworkers or superiors. It consists of abusive conduct that can make a person feel threatened or humiliated. Those feelings of inferiority can affect the work that he or she produces. Another type of abusive conduct could be, in fact, work interference, which also prevents work from getting done. Depending on the severity of the interference it can be considered sabotage. IT can be difficult in a work environment to recognize bullying. Often times it can be viewed as competitiveness, jealousy, or a style of leadership, but it is important to identify in order to remove yourself from a toxic environment.
Toxic and Abusive Behavior…
- Is driven by a need to control
- Can come from feelings of insecurity in the workplace
- Is initiated by bullies who choose their targets, timing, location, and methods based on the individual and how they would react
- Can consist of doing harmful things to other people, whether mentally or physically, or excluding things from someone in order to create a toxic situation
Bullying at work can occur without being identified…
Here are some signs to look out for:
- Work becomes an obsession that takes over your life. You may be constantly thinking about it, checking your email, or not partaking in activities because of work.
- Changes in your health, such as rising blood pressure, weight gain or loss, sudden grinding of teeth or anxiety are all warning signs that there is something wrong. If your doctor expresses concern about your work you should examine your environment.
- If you use all of your paid time off for mental rejuvenation, you should question why.
- Your weekends are spent exhausted and without motivation to do anything
- Your favorite things are no longer fun and you no longer do things with friends or family
- You begin to believe that you did something, whether in your attitude or work production, to instigate the bullying