Have you been in a room where the jokes make everyone laugh except you? It could be because you missed the punchline or because the joke is on you. In the process of trying to fit in, you didn't realize when you turned into the butt of all jokes. If you dismiss this as general corporate work culture, then you are mistaken.

Madhurima Mazumdar, Emotional Empowerment Coach, says that "Bullying includes all the minor things that people experience in workplaces such as being made of not knowing a certain language, for the way they are dressed or the way they speak." Most people pay no heed to this, to fit in with their colleagues.

The hairline between fun and being bullied is that the latter hurts another's emotions, breaking their self-confidence, making fun of their beliefs, values, or morals, and constantly making them feel inferior to others. But is bullying simply confined to schools and colleges alone? No, it is not. Unfortunately, the pandemic isn't the only thing that has taken over the world. Bullying, too, is spreading slowly as a plague taking over different areas of workplaces. But are you really aware of how bullying takes place in the workplace? When do you know that it is time to reach out for help?

Let us help you decipher this in detail. 

What Is Workplace Bullying?

Bullying in the workplace is usually seen as acts or verbal comments that could mentally hurt or isolate a person. It usually involves repeated incidents or a pattern of behaviour intended to intimidate, offend, degrade or humiliate a particular person or a group of people. 

To this, Madhurima says, "Bullying is as simple as the biases one experiences at work. Most of us often neglect this kind of behaviour, but this biased behaviour is a strong signal that we are being bullied." 

According to a survey by Economic Times-India, 55% of employees face bullying at their workplace. It also states that 31 percent of workers were constantly criticized by the boss or co-workers, while 29 percent said they were purposely being excluded from projects or meetings.

Workplace bullying can be both aggressive and subtle. Violence, assault, and stalking are extreme forms of bullying that constitute a criminal offense. Such behaviour should be reported directly to your office counsellors, reporting managers, or respective HR representatives. Subtle forms of bullying include exclusion deliberately, isolating or marginalizing a person from normal workplace activities.

Here are various examples that come under bullying in workplaces:

· An abusive, insulting, or offensive language that frightens, humiliates, belittles or degrades, including criticism that is delivered with yelling and screaming;

· Teasing or regularly making someone the brunt of practical jokes;

· Displaying material that is degrading or offending;

· Physical assault or unlawful threats.

· Intruding a person's space by pestering, spying, or tampering with their personal effects or work equipment;

· Intimidating a person through inappropriate personal comments, belittling opinions, or unjustified criticism. 

· Deliberately denying access to information, consultation, or resources, such as leave or training.

Effects Of Workplace Bullying

Bullying is responsible for increased absenteeism, a lack of workplace motivation and employee satisfaction, increased turnover, and a lack of trust and team-building among workers. Additionally, bullying can cause severe damage to an employee's self-esteem and their ability to contribute at work. It can also be responsible for employee depression, physical and psychological illness, and severe trauma. Such behaviour in the workplace can also impact the bullied co-workers, clients, customers, business associates, family, and friends, disturbing their professional and social life.

Employees who are exposed to bullying may experience some of the following effects:

· Stress, anxiety, or sleep disturbances

· Panic attacks or impaired ability to make decisions;

· Incapacity to work, concentration problems, loss of self-confidence and self-esteem or reduced output and performance;

· Depression or a sense of isolation;

· Physical injury; 

· Reduced quality of home and family life;

· Or even suicide in some cases.

Under such a situation, an organization's impact is reduced efficiency, unsafe work environment, increased absenteeism, poor morale, increased workers compensation claims, and civil action.

What Strategies Can Be Used To Eliminate Workplace Bullying?

You can use several strategies whether you're an organizational leader, a manager or supervisor, or any employee in your organization.

1. As Organizational Leaders

· Review your current policies and procedures: Prepare a list of questions to assist you while making the policies. Do your policies and procedures address respect one another in the workplace? Have you provided clear expectations regarding interactions among co-workers? Is there a clear channel for reporting workplace incivility or bullying?

· Process complaints fairly: Implement a standard investigation process to evaluate every reported incident. Establish a universal disciplinary policy for instigators of bullying. Be cautious in making exceptions for any internal or external customer who has been accused of incivility or bullying, and ensure a thorough evaluation of the information gathered.

· Implement training: Provide training for all employees in respectful communication protocols and the consequences of not adhering to them. Many organizations go a step further and train employees to prevent, recognize, and respond to incidents of incivility, aggression, and bullying in their workplaces. You can also conduct workshops, training, and awareness programs on how to identify and draw a line to bullying. 

· Be observant: As a leader at the management level, you need to be highly observant. Some things may catch your eye which may be missed from the reporting managers'. Take actions by stepping in and putting a stop to such incidents.

2. Managers And Supervisors

· Keep your ear to the ground: Carefully listen to employee concerns both formally and informally. You are closer to the employees than the senior level, so be aware of sudden shifts and pattern changes in behaviour.

· Walk the talk: Treat your employees respectfully and encourage respectful interactions at all times through all communication channels. Managers and supervisors set the overall tone for workplace behaviour, and your employees are watching you for cues.

· Arrange, support, and attend training: Provide ongoing training on respectful workplace interactions. Having employees acknowledge a policy during orientation isn't enough. Employees need to know specific behaviours that are acceptable or unacceptable and be trained in how to handle incivility and bullying when it occurs.

· Avoid biased behaviour: Biased behaviour leads to bad feelings amongst employees giving rise to bullying. As a manager, avoid this behaviour at all costs. After all, it starts with you.

3. As Employees

· Know that it starts with you: Take a look at yourself and your current work environment to understand how you're being perceived and treated. If you feel you're being treated differently than before, are there any factors or changes that could explain it, such as changes in schedule, supervisors, or assignments? If you're being treated disrespectfully, have you brought it to the other person's attention and asked them to stop. Many times employees don't realize they are being bullied till it's too late. 

· Communicate or tolerate: If someone does something you feel is disrespectful, have a conversation with them. You can't jump to the conclusion that an individual is a bully if you haven't told them that their behaviour is disrespectful, as we haven't allowed them to understand our perception—and the opportunity to change. Stand up and speak for yourself.

· If you see it, then say it: While you may not be the target of a bully, if you witness disrespectful or uncivil behaviour, say something—either directly to the person if it's safe to do so or to your supervisor, HR, or leadership team.

Conclusion
Pin this thing in your mind that, 'If you're not stopping it, then you're supporting it.' Workplace bullying has evolved into a severe issue, and you have to take appropriate actions to stop it.

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