I'm amazed at the number of people I'm currently seeing who are suffering some degree of post-traumatic stress from events in the workplace. Practical Man also experienced something similar a little while back. With 25 years of service under his belt, his immediate boss was told to do whatever she could to 'get him out'. They made his life hell in many ways. We had to seek legal advice. Eventually, the immediate boss left. For now, all seems fine but that's only on the surface.
Workplace bullying relates to the ill-treatment of a person in the workplace by one or more other people. The mistreatment need not be physical in nature but can involve:
verbal abuse
exclusion from social interaction
exclusion from social interaction
restrictive and petty work rules
threat of demotion or being fired
sabotage of work
unreasonable demands
among many other behaviours.
The consequences can be considerable. Stress, depression, anxiety, anger, withdrawal.
Like any form of bullying, it can be hard to take action against the perpetrators. However, employers have a duty to protect workers against this kind of behaviour.
If you find yourself in this situation, consider these useful hints from The Mental Health Association of NSW:
As an initial step, explain to the person bullying you how their behaviour is making you feel and how you would like them to behave instead. This demonstrates that you have tried to resolve the problem and the person cannot claim they did not know.
Ensure you document bullying incidents. Record what is happening, who is doing it and when.
Contact your company's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) if your company has one or otherwise the Human Resources department and consider making a formal complaint.
While these steps make common sense, many people in this position lose confidence and feel powerless, consequently opting to walk away rather than take action. If you know someone in this position, be ready to lend a supportive ear and encourage them to seek help if necessary.
For more resources on workplace bullying:
