Workplace bullying can cause serious mental distress, and can occur in the workplace or remotely. According to Beyond Blue, more than half of Australians are likely to experience workplace bullying in some manner during their lives, with two-thirds of those who experience it, either misinterpreting it or failing to report it.
Safe Work Australia data from 2021-22 shows that among roughly 10,000 serious claims, 27.5% were due to work-related harassment or bullying. The People at Work (PAW) Survey highlights psychological hazards such as high emotional demand, bullying, and occupational violence.
Notably, women face higher rates of work-related bullying, harassment, and violence claims than men. In 2021-22, 31.1% of women with mental stress claims reported bullying or harassment, compared to 22.6% of men.
The leading causes of mental health claims in the workplace were primarily linked to work-related bullying and harassment, which accounted for 27.5% of cases. The work pressure and excessive job demands contributed to 25.2% of claims, highlighting the significant impact of stressful workloads on employee well-being. Additionally, exposure to workplace violence or occupational violence was responsible for 16.4% of mental health claims, highlighting the serious psychological effects of unsafe or hostile work environments.
According to the Australian Productivity Commission’s mental health report, workplace bullying is one of the major causes of work-related mental stress in Australia. Bullying costs the Australian economy between $22 billion and $47.4 billion every year, due to lost productivity, absenteeism, legal fees, and workers’ compensation claims, according to Safe Work Australia. And the Australian Workplace Barometer (AWB) survey states that Australia has the second-highest rate of workplace bullying among 34 European nations.
Would you know if workplace bullying is happening around you? We’ve put together some handy warning signs to help you identify workplace bullying behaviour that generally goes unnoticed.
Signs of Workplace Bullying:
Intimidation: A workplace bully is someone who constantly tries to force you to do things their way, without giving your opinions a second thought. They may use their position of power to intimidate you, or they may just insist that their viewpoint is the only one that matters.
Isolation/exclusion: According to Harvard Business research, many remote workers feel left out of critical decisions and feel bullied, humiliated, and ganged up by their co-workers during virtual meetings. As the technology doesn’t allow free-flowing conversation, employees often feel overlooked in comparison to those who speak loudest and often dominate meetings, making others feel disrespected or dismissed altogether.
Destructive criticism: Every job is going to involve some level of criticism, it’s not easy, but there are right and wrong ways to do it. A competent co-worker or manager recognises that the kindest criticism is accompanied by suggestions on how to improve and learn from mistakes. On the other side, if criticisms serve only to tear someone down, belittle them, or make them feel unworthy, then it’s a sign of workplace bullying.
Changing expectations: In many organisations, managers make an employee feel unappreciated by rarely communicating about their job or progress; consistently assigning undesirable assignments and obligations to create pressure and mental stress. When your goals aren’t clear, it’s impossible to achieve them which leads to stress, anxiety, fear, and creates a toxic work environment.
Humiliation: Bullying can manifest in a variety of ways, one of which is humiliation. This can be in the form of being screamed or yelled at or being the target of pranks. It can be intimidating to speak up and discuss your concerns, so often victims remain silent.
Workplace bullying is a serious issue that must be addressed at all levels. An anti-bullying culture should be implemented, and education is given so that staff knows exactly what constitutes workplace bullying, how to report it, and how to deal with it. This will help in creating a safer, more collaborative, and more productive environment for everyone.
If you believe that you or a colleague is being bullied at work, try reaching out to your manager or HR. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your manager directly, your employer may have a designated person in the HR department to talk to about your concerns privately. Many companies have a zero-tolerance policy, which outlines reporting guidelines or policies against bullying. Also, consider reviewing state or even federal policies about the type of bullying you or your co-workers might be experiencing. If your company doesn’t have an anti-bullying policy in place, talk to your manager or HR department about implementing a new policy to safeguard employees against bullying. Having an impartial and unbiased workplace counsellor to handle employee counselling sessions can be a valuable resource for any organisation.
If you’ve tried talking to your manager and HR regarding a bully in the workplace and they haven’t been able to come up with a solution, you can file an anti-bullying complaint with the Fair Work Commission. They can provide you with all the information on their anti-bullying procedures and assist you in completing the required information.
