Introduction For this paper I will be discussing work place bullying. I will address what work place bullying is, why people bully, the effects bullying has on the individual as well as the organization, what you can do if you are being bullied, as well as offer suggestions for organizations to become bully free.
What is Workplace Bullying? Workplace bullying involves unwelcome behaviors that can cause emotional harm or make a person feel isolated in their workplace. Workplace bullying might also involve unwanted physical contact as well. These behaviors are considered bullying when they make up a pattern of behavior in which the bully intends to threaten, insult, shame or demean a specific individual …show more content…
• intimidation, criticizing or threatening a person consistently over time According to a study conducted by Careerbuilder, bullying affects the life of 27% of American adults. The most harsh forms can lead to a number of stress-related health complications that include high blood pressure, immune system diseases, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Being bullied at work can disrupt a person's productivity at work and can derail a person’s career. Careerbuilder (2011) surveyed more than 5,000 workers and found that about 15% of their sample reported feeling bullied by one of their supervisors, and 12% believed they had been bullied by someone they worked with. Another seven percent identified their bully as someone in the organization than their immediate boss. Surprisingly, seven percent said they had been bullied by a customer. These statistics mean that about 41% of employees had been bullied by someone while at work.
Why do people …show more content…
The targeted employee begins to feel belittled and powerless, especially if employers do not have operational policies in place to deal with these situations. Bullied employees may experience greater and greater frustration and anxiety. They may start to suppress rage. Or they may begin to avoid the workplace as much as possible (Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety, 2005). Some possible symptoms of being bullied are headaches, nausea, and lack of sleep (Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety, 2005; Zapf et al., 2003). The target’s ability to concentrate or be productive at work properly may become an issue. There have been advanced cases of bullying, where employees needed to be placed on short-term or long-term disability leave. Not only is the targeted employee affected, the workplace as whole can suffer (Zapf et al., 2003). The company my experience increased absenteeism, reduced morale and productivity, increased risk of accidents, and greater employee turnover can result if the company does not intervene.
How Workers can Handle