Workplace Bullying: A Growing Epidemic.

• Author: Wall, Alison E.

INTRODUCTION

Workplace bullying includes repetitive, negative behavior exhibited by individuals or groups that is directed towards another individual or group with the intent to intimidate, degrade, humiliate, or undermine the target and interfere with their health or safety (Workplace Bullying Institute, 2015). More specifically, research shows 27% of US workers are bullied and 82% of all reported bullied individuals lost their jobs, including 44% involuntary and 38% voluntary departures (Scholten, 2005). Further, another 21% of workers have witnessed bullying behavior, indicating that over half of the US workforce has been affected by bullying (Branch & Murray, 2015). In a society where equality has become a cultural norm, many don't believe bullying is something that should happen and both workers and employers struggle to define, identify, and respond to it.

Preventing workplace bullying is not only beneficial to employees, but also to an organization's bottom line. Each year, businesses incur significant losses and expenses as a consequence of workplace bullying. In fact, estimates indicate that health-related claims and lost productivity can amount to as much as $100,000 per employee per year (Branch & Murray, 2015). One of the biggest issues surrounding workplace bullying is that there is no clear consensus as to what constitutes bullying versus simple workplace banter, comradery, or practical jokes; however, any negative behavior that occurs over a period of time could constitute bullying and it can occur any time there is an imbalance of power or perceived lack of control by one of the parties. Research findings suggest that the vast majority of bullying behaviors can be categorized as verbal abuse, such as shouting, swearing, name-calling, malicious gossip, rumors and lies, but rarely encompass forms of physical aggression (Salin, 2003). In a 2006 study of 75 million U.S. laborers, 41.4% of people who responded had experienced psychological aggression, or workplace bullying in the past year. The research also revealed that 13%, or 15 million employees, reported weekly occurrences (Schat, Frone, & Kelloway, 2006). This behavior undermines legitimate business interests as personal agendas become the priority over contributions to the overall productivity of the organization.

Workplace bullying can come from co-workers, managers, subordinates, or supervisors; however, 60-81% of complaints report bullying behavior as coming from bosses (Branch & Murray, 2015; Scholten, 2005). Managers who are bullies look to consistently steal credit from the victim. One example of abuse involves a supervisor setting unreasonable workloads on an employee, so that the probability of failure is extremely high. Consequently, many employees will sacrifice quality of life to prevent putting their jobs at risk. This added pressure creates an undesirable and unsustainable workplace culture. In corporate America, this behavior happens very often and is still viewed as acceptable in many organizations. Being subjected to the behavior is typically known as part of "climbing the corporate ladder" or "paying dues," which are in themselves forms of workplace bullying as an employee's career progression can be influenced more through politics and surrendering of due credit than actual task performance. In these situations, the bullying behavior is frequently ignored and "survival" is treated as a rite of passage into the career.

In addition to the behaviors, there are certain characteristics of both victims and bullies. For example, women are bullied more frequently than men. The Workplace Bullying Institute found that 62% of bullies were men and 58% of targets were women (Kane, 2013). This finding may be due to the higher prevalence of men in supervisory roles. Other than demographic characteristics, personal characteristics of both the bully and his or her victims have been identified. Potential victims can be anyone that the bully perceives as being a threat or source of envy. Another commonly described characteristic of the victim is vulnerability. Those who are known for being non-confrontational, shy, or new to the organization are often targeted by the bully (Einarsen et al., 1994), as bullies tend to look for ways to gain quick power without a fight. Other targets of bullying are simply seen as odd or annoying and, as such, are considered acceptable targets. Additionally, anxiety and anxious behavior has been found to be both a precursor and an outcome of bullying, which can lead to a spiraling effect for the victims (Williams, 2015). The bullies, on the other hand, often lack coping skills and compensate for their own insecurities by manipulating others to build self-esteem. As such, one of the major drivers of workplace bullying is a desire or struggle for control. Bullies are often the most tenured and recognized individuals in the workgroup who feel their status or power is being threatened.

THE IMPACT OF WORKPLACE BULLYING ON THE EMPLOYEE

Being exposed to workplace bullying can result in a variety of significant physical and mental health risks and employees may experience a desire to withdraw, either socially or professionally (Salin, 2003). For many, even showing up to a jobsite where bullying has been known to occur can be enough to contemplate leaving that job. According to the Journal of Human Relations, employees "not bullied directly, but who worked in an environment where workplace bullying occurred, felt a stronger urge to quit than those actually being bullied" (Williams, 2015) thus emphasizing the far-reaching consequences of workplace bullying behaviors. Individuals use a variety of coping mechanisms to deal with bullying behaviors; however, the economic downturn has made the effects of bullying even worse as employees are experiencing reduced opportunities for remedies and higher levels of workplace stress. Gary Namie, the social psychologist who co-founded the Workplace Bullying Institute said, "People are trapped; they don't have the same alternative jobs to jump to. They are staying longer in these pressured, stress-filled, toxic work environments" (Hananal, 2013). As a result of staying in negative environments, employees are experiencing increasing impacts on their health and overall well-being.

This increased duration of stress and its psychological and physical side effects can have a devastating impact on one's health (Scholten, 2005). Over the long term, employees may develop feelings of ostracism. The statistical evidence linking stress to negative health outcomes is overwhelming. In the US, work related diseases, including chronic stress, account for a total cost of $26 billion annually (Scholten, 2005). Some commonly reported health-related symptoms of stress include high blood pressure, heart attacks, and chronic depression. Additionally, stress has been linked to increased occurrences of heart disease, mental fatigue, alcoholism, drug abuse, and even certain forms of cancer (Namie & Namie, 2003). Severe depression and anxiety are among the most commonly diagnosed conditions attributed to the workplace. In fact, in a US hostile workplace survey conducted by the Campaign Against Workplace Bullying (CAWB), it was reported that over 80% of those interviewed reported health effects such as severe anxiety, lost concentration, and sleeplessness (Scholten, 2005). In addition to the direct impact on employee health, the effects of stress and bullying have been shown to carry over into family life, professional productivity, relationships, and overall mental wellness. As such, employers are becoming...