The Ways to Identify Workplace Bullying

Bullying Defined

The Workplace Bullying Institute defines bullying as “repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators that takes one or more of the following forms: verbal abuse, offensive conduct/behaviours (including nonverbal) which are threatening, humiliating, or intimidating; or work interference – sabotage – which prevents work from getting done.”

The primary issue with bullying is that the perpetrator desires to control the other person’s behaviour, usually for his or her own needs, personal agenda, or self-serving motives. Bullies use a variety of subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle ways to control others emotionally, psychologically, and even physically.

Adept bullies and manipulators are often extremely controlling people who are attuned to certain personality traits to exploit others. They are skilled “people readers” and make it their task to understand someone’s flaws to determine what techniques can be used against them. Some even go a step further and mask their bullying behind a charming and nice demeanour and even a noble cause.

Subtle Signs of Bullying

Bullying often goes unnoticed in the workplace because it is a slow process of emotional and psychological manipulation that is hard to prove and detect. It is also not protected under the law. Technically, bullying is not considered harassment, so legally, people can get away with doing it in the workplace if a policy isn’t in place.

Here are twenty (20) signs of bullying at work that you may be missing, but when a pattern emerges of multiple behaviours over a long period, can be a classic bullying situation. These subtle signs are all used to create an emotional reaction, usually anxiety, which establishes greater control and power over the victim.

•Deceit. Repeatedly lying, not telling the truth, concealing the truth, deceiving others to get one’s way, and creating false hopes with no plans to fulfil them

•Intimidation. Overt or veiled threats; fear-inducing communication and behaviour

•Ignoring. Purposefully ignoring, avoiding, or not paying attention to someone; “forgetting” to invite someone to a meeting; selectively greeting or interacting with others besides a victim

Isolation/exclusion. Intentionally excluding someone or making them feel socially or physically isolated from a group; purposefully excluding someone from decisions, conversations, and work-related events.

•Rationalization. Constantly justifying or defending behaviour or making excuses for acting in a particular manner

•Minimization. Minimizing, discounting, or failing to address someone’s legitimate concerns or feelings

•Diversion. Dodging issues, acting oblivious or playing dumb, changing the subject to distract away from the issue, cancelling meetings, and avoiding people

•Shame and guilt. Making an employee constantly feel that they are the problem, shaming them for no real wrongdoing, or making them feel inadequate and unworthy

•Undermining work. Deliberately delaying and blocking an employee’s work, progress on a project or assignment, or success; repeated betrayal; promising them projects and then giving them to others; alternating supportive and undermining behaviour

•Pitting employees against each other. Unnecessarily and deliberately pitting employees against one another to drive competition, create conflict, or establish winners and losers; encouraging employees to turn against one another

•Removal of responsibility. Removing someone’s responsibilities, changing their role, or replacing aspects of their job without cause

•Impossible or changing expectations. Setting nearly impossible expectations and work guidelines; changing those expectations to set up employees to fail

Constant change and inconsistency. Constantly changing expectations, guidelines, and scope of assignments; constant inconsistency of word and action (e.g. not following through on things said)

•Mood swings. Frequently changing moods and emotions; sharp and sudden shifts in emotions

•Criticism. Constantly criticizing someone's work or behaviour, usually for unwarranted reasons

Withholding information. Intentionally withholding information from someone or giving them the wrong information

•Projection of blame. Shifting blame to others and using them as a scapegoat; not taking responsibility for problems or issues

•Taking credit. Taking or stealing credit for other people’s ideas and contributions without acknowledging them

•Seduction. Using excessive flattery and compliments to get people to trust them, lower their defences, and be more responsive to manipulative behaviour

Creating a feeling of uselessness. Making an employee feel underused; intentionally rarely delegating or communicating with the employee about their work or progress; persistently giving employees unfavourable duties and responsibilities.

What HR Needs to Do

Not everyone plays fair and nice at work, so, unfortunately, you need to make sure you protect your employees from disrespectful and unfair treatment in the workplace. No employee deserves to feel uncomfortable at work. Here are some steps to take

•Create a policy. Devise a policy that protects employees from bullying behaviour in the workplace. While the law doesn’t protect employees, you can.

Establish a code of conduct. Your organization should have a code of conduct in its employee handbook, which includes respectful behaviour from all employees and sets the tone for a professional work environment.

•Train managers. Train everyone (particularly managers) on soft skills and specifically workplace bullying. Make sure they recognize the right and wrong ways to treat each other on the job. Likewise, teach managers constructive ways to drive the behaviour and results they want.

•Monitor behaviour. Monitor behaviour throughout the workplace. When you notice signs of bullying or manipulation, address the situation directly with the person.

•Watch controlling people. Some people who constantly talk about control and exert it should be watched closely. Most are harmless, just perfectionists trying to control results and work, but some people take control to a whole different (and harmful) level.

•Have a confidential way for employees to report a bullying problem. Create a mechanism for employees to confidentially report bullying issues in the workplace without fear or retaliation.

•Educate everyone on respect. Everyone in your workplace should be trained and held accountable for respect. While it sounds like common sense, respect is, unfortunately, lacking in many workplaces.

•Recognize employees’ distress. Look for confusion, frustration, discomfort, fear, overt emotional displays, and avoiding one’s boss, which are all signs that an employee is in distress at work and uncomfortable in their situation.

•Don’t sweep complaints under the rug. Treat every complaint about bullying behaviour seriously and fairly and investigate it. Your employees need someone to trust.

•Document. Be sure to document any behaviour incidents you hear about from employees or witnesses.