Are you being bullied at work? Have you witnessed workplace bullying? If you have, you’re not alone. It is estimated that about 60 million people have either been bullied or witnessed bullying at their employer. While it is prevalent, it isn’t always cut and dry. Let’s focus on some steps you can take to identify bullying in your workplace and, if you do witness it, what steps you can take to address it.  

Identifying Bullying at Work

Workplace bullying isn’t always cut and dry. It’s easy to see if someone is yelling or being hostile, but there are many other types of workplace bullying. Let’s take a look at some different types of workplace bullying: 

• The aggressive bully: When people think of bullying, they often think of the aggressive bully. The aggressive bully behaves in a hostile manner when things don’t go their way. Typical behavior can include; yelling and screaming, name-calling, or talking in a hostile tone.

• The passive-aggressive bully: The passive-aggressive bully isn’t as easy to spot, but their behavior is just as hurtful. Passive-aggressive bullies may gossip about you, ignore or disregard you, or even tell lies about you.

• The control bully: The control bully doesn’t easily show their behavior. Instead, they use their power or control to push you around. These bullies might withhold resources from you or try to distance you from projects. These bullies are often in leadership positions.

Of course, these are just some examples, and bullying can come in many forms. 

What to do if you are being bullied:

If you are being bullied at your workplace, you must take action quickly. The longer you put up with the bullying, the higher the chances the bully will continue their behavior. Here are a few steps that you can take to address this situation: 

• Document the behavior: Document the instances of bullying you have experienced. Write down information such as the bully’s name, the dates of the bullying instances, and the behaviors that the bully is exhibiting. If other witnesses are present, it’s also important to include their names.

• Confront the bully: While this step will most likely be very uncomfortable, confront the bully on their behavior. Focus your conversation on what behaviors you are witnessing and the impact that behavior is having on you. It’s also important to let them know that you will need to talk to human resources if the behavior doesn’t stop.

• Get support: If the behavior continues, you must pull in your leader or human resources. These individuals can help you determine the next steps.

While workplace bullying can be very difficult, it doesn’t need to be permanent. Our resume writers can ensure that your resume is ready to land you another job.