If you’re aware of bullying at your workplace, or are a victim yourself, you’re not alone. According to a survey by CareerBuilder.co.uk, half of UK workers revealed that they have been bullied at work.
The two most common ways workers report being bullied was being ignored, whereby comments have been dismissed or not acknowledged (41%), and being falsely accused of mistakes they didn’t make (39%). Constantly being criticised by the boss or co-workers (38%) and being gossiped about (25%) were also common weapons used by the workplace bully.
Two thirds (66%) of victims did not report the bullying to their HR department and of those who were bullied, most pointed to incidents with their bosses (19%) or colleagues (13%). Six in ten (63%) said they were bullied by someone older than themselves and it wasn’t necessarily a colleague, as 8% of victims were bullied by customers.
“It is important to remember that bullying impacts workers of all backgrounds regardless of race, education, age, income and level of authority within an organisation,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. “Many of the workers who have experienced bullying don’t confront the bully or decide not to report the incidents which can prolong a negative work experience that leads some to leave their jobs.”
Half of victims said that they had confronted the bully themselves, with varying results. One in ten said the bullying had gotten worse, and a further 34% who felt bullied reported it to their HR department. Of those who reported it, 13% said that action was taken while 21% said nothing was done.
If you’re feeling bullied in the workplace, CareerBuilder recommends to:
- Keep a record of all incidents of bullying, documenting places, times, what happened and who was present.
- Consider talking to the bully, providing examples of how you felt treated unfairly. Chances are the bully may not be aware that he/she is making you feel this way.
- Always focus on agreeing a resolution. When sharing examples with the bully or a company authority, center the discussions around how to make the working situation better or how things could be handled differently.
