On the surface, “What is workplace bullying?” seems like an obvious question. Bullying can involve verbal disagreements and arguments, but it can also be more subtle.
Other forms of bullying include:
- Excluding and ignoring someone
- Overloading someone with work
- Spreading malicious rumours or gossip
- Unfair treatment
- Undermining someone
- Denying someone training or promotional opportunities
What effect does it have?
Bullying can make being in work stressful and that stress can lead to a decline in mental health which can have both a short term and longer-term impact.
What can I do?
Remember that you’re not alone and don’t feel embarrassed to speak to confide in someone as they are likely to be able to help.
Often by sharing, this may help feel as though the problem is not as heavy and give you the confidence to escalate the matter to someone senior if the issue does not resolve.
Initially, it might be a good idea to speak to someone about how you might deal with the problem informally. This person could be an employee representative, such as a trade union official, someone in the human resources department, a line manager or supervisor.
Many employers now have specially trained staff to help with bullying problems.
If the bullying is affecting your health, it’s important to visit your GP and access any medical support you may need.
This is legally known as a contemporaneous record and if you did wish to consider taking any legal action later down the line, it would be useful to keep your own log of events. Many therapists also recommend keeping a diary as a therapeutic exercise.
Making a formal complaint is the next step if you cannot solve the problem informally. Each company has a unique procedure but usually this involves you putting your complaint in writing and submitting to an HR manager.
What about legal action?
Sometimes the problem continues even after you’ve followed the relevant internal grievance procedure. If you’re unhappy with the outcome or feel as though your employer has not supported you in the way they should have, you can consider legal action.
Useful links
Samaritans
WHAT TO DO NEXT
If you believe that bullying at work is causing you ill-health and your workplace isn’t listening, get in touch today for a free initial consultation. Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page, or call us on 0113 200 9787 to find out how we can help you.
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