Everybody should be able to come to work and feel safe in their environment. No-one should be made to feel as if they don’t belong as this is counterproductive to a reassuring and productive work space.
Being bullied gradually makes it harder to motivate yourself in the workplace.
Yet, the sad truth is, bullying doesn’t just happen in school; it often takes place in other settings, including the workplace. Your employer should never tolerate such unwelcome forms of behaviour, but it can be tricky for them to spot the signs of bullying. Especially if the victim is afraid to speak out against their bully.
As such, it’s important to also make yourself aware of the signs, so you know what to do if you witness bullying at work. This will help you to act in the best interests of your colleagues who aren’t able to protect themselves. Below, we explore what bullying might look like and how to stop it from happening.
What is Bullying?
The most transparent forms of bullying are physical and sexual, but the most common types are verbal and psychological. This is largely because they don’t leave any tangible evidence and are therefore harder to spot.
Workplace bullying is defined as mistreatment, which repeatedly causes someone physical or emotional harm. The victim may feel confused and uncomfortable. Often, the grey areas around verbal and psychological abuse stop the problem from ever being addressed.
If you repeatedly witness behaviour that you believe resembles bullying, then don’t second guess yourself. It’s time to take action and prevent this from happening in your workplace again.
Witnessing bullying and allowing it to continue in the workplace will only removes the trust and loyalty that your bosses have worked hard to build. If you won’t step in to protect a colleague, why would they step in if something similar happens to you?
If You Witness Bullying at Work: Write it Down
If you think a colleague may be bullying another, ask yourself: how did it make you feel? Uneasy? On edge? Anxious? This might because you aren’t sure if it constitutes as bullying. If this is the case, the next step to take is to write down what happened. Don’t wait until the situation reaches boiling point.
Make a note of the incident (including place and time) in a matter-of-fact, neutral fashion, which documents what happened as closely as you can. This will help you to put your thoughts in order. It may also be useful if the company investigates the behaviour at a later stage.
The same goes for cyber-bullying. If you notice any malicious emails, or nasty social posts, keep them in a folder as evidence. Then, get in touch with your HR department or boss as soon as possible to nip it in the bud.
Support the Victim
Even if the victim of the bullying isn’t someone you know too well; they’ll appreciate you being there to support them. Send an email to let them know they can talk to you or ask if they’d like to grab a cup of coffee.
If they know they have an ally, they may just gain the confidence to confront their bully. While you may be afraid of challenging a bully yourself, there are plenty of subtle ways to diffuse the situation.
After all, you are more than entitled to state your opinion if you feel like the victim is being unfairly attacked. For example, ‘gas-lighting’ is an increasingly common form of bullying in the workplace. If you notice a bully constantly lying to a colleague to make them doubt their abilities, then firmly state your disagreement without causing any confrontation.
Share What You Know
Targets of bullying often won’t speak up out of fear that no-one will believe their story. Therefore, the best action you can take is to approach a manager or a more senior member of staff. As an independent party, your opinion holds extra weight.
If a manager brushes off your account, don’t just assume that the matter is over. If you suspect that they’re siding with the bully, the next step is for you to get in touch with HR and report the case.
While making a formal complaint is an extreme step, a culture of bullying has serious consequences. And it can’t be allowed to continue. You never know, in alerting HR, you may trigger responses from other targets who are afraid to speak out.
Speak Up and Prevent Bullying at Work
If you know how to spot harassment and bullying in your company, you’re one step closer to preventing it. As outlined, it takes on many forms which may or may not be obvious. When you know what to look out for, however, you’ll start to get better at recognising the signs.
Yet, if you witness bullying at work, it can be awkward to get involved. Many will choose to turn a blind eye rather than put themselves in an awkward position. On a human level, this is fundamentally wrong.
Bullying ultimately hurts everyone involved as it stops your company from being a safe place to work. The overall effects of stress and loss of self-esteem will reduce employee engagement and team morale. Know that you can make a difference and stand up to bullying.
