Identifying and Stopping a Workplace Bully
Of all the problems you might anticipate in a workplace, a bully causing distress and anxiety is rarely one of them, yet that’s a very real problem for many Canadians. Today, we’re going to define what a workplace bully is, explore the issues they cause, and share some tips on how to spot them. Let’s get started!
What is a workplace bully?
According to the University of Mary Washington, a workplace bully is someone who consistently treats others poorly in a work setting. This can mean anything from degrading or humiliating colleagues to isolating them from opportunities. It’s like they have an invisible badge that says, « I’m here to make your work life miserable. » Not exactly the kind of person you want to bump into at the water cooler, right?
Problems workplace bullies cause
That’s what they do, but let’s talk about the chaos they can cause. According to Verywell Mind, bullies can turn a perfectly fine workplace into a stress-filled zone. Imagine feeling anxious every Sunday night just thinking about going to work—that’s what some employees go through. Bullies can lead to a host of problems:
- Stress and anxiety: Constant bullying can leave workers feeling anxious and stressed out. It’s like carrying a backpack full of rocks all day long.
- Decreased productivity: When you’re preoccupied with avoiding a bully, your work can slide. Instead of doing their work, employees concentrate on minimizing interactions with the bully or altering their behaviour to avoid triggering further bullying.
- Toxic work environment: Bullies can ruin the mood for everyone, not just their direct targets. The whole team might feel the pinch, leading to low morale and high turnover.
Top 5 tips to identify a workplace bully
Having covered the basics, how do you spot these workplace troublemakers? Here are five tips to help you identify a workplace bully:
Observe behaviour patterns
Pay attention to how someone interacts with others. Do they consistently criticize, belittle, or undermine their colleagues? If they’re often the storm cloud on a sunny day, they might be a bully.
Make sure to observe how others react to your potential suspect, and foster an open and trusting culture so employees feel comfortable bringing up their concerns. Sometimes, employees may feel intimidated by supervisors and managers, and may not explicitly show their feelings, so pay close attention.
Listen to employee feedback
Keep your ears open to what others are saying. If an employee mentions feeling intimidated or unfairly treated by another employee, take it seriously, as there’s a chance you have a bully on your hands .
Watch for signs of exclusion
Is someone always leaving certain colleagues out of the loop on key information or meetings? Exclusion can be a subtle but meaningful form of bullying. Intentionally ghosting people, keeping them guessing, and making them feel left out is a common way for a bully to intimidate and demotivate people.
Notice overly aggressive communication
Does someone often resort to yelling or sending off heated e-mails? If their communication style feels more like a battlefield than a chat, that’s a red flag. This should never be acceptable behaviour, and any such action should be dealt with fast.
Identify manipulative behaviour
Bullies might try to manipulate situations to their advantage, making others feel inadequate or unsuccessful. If someone seems to enjoy spinning things to make others look bad, they could be a bully in disguise. This could be particularly problematic when managers and supervisors do that, as their employees may not have the courage to speak up and flag this.
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Prevention strategies and reliable reporting procedures. Let us help you design and implement solutions you can trust to address violence and harassment in the workplace. Our HR and Health & Safety experts have the experience and knowledge to help you address these sensitive challenges with assurance. Whether it’s creating policies to address and report bullying or offering training to help your team resolve conflicts effectively, we provide the tools, resources, and guidance you need.
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