Bullying
If a worker feels they’re being singled out for unfair treatment by a boss or colleague, they’re probably being bullied. There’s no comprehensive list of bullying behaviours and no one type of person who’s likely to be a bully. Bullying can be described as unfair, offensive, intimidating or insulting behaviour intended to undermine, humiliate or injure someone.
Examples of bullying behaviour include:
- constantly criticising competent staff, removing responsibilities from them, or giving them trivial tasks.
- shouting at staff
- persistently picking on people in front of others or in private
- blocking promotion
- regularly and deliberately ignoring or excluding individuals from work activities
- setting a person up to fail ny overloading them with work or setting impossible deadlines
- consistently attacking a member of staff on their professional or personal standing
- regularly making jokes about the same person
Symptoms of bullying include:
- anxiety
- headaches
- nausea
- ulcers
- sleeplessness
- skin rashes
- irritable bowel syndrome
- high blood pressure
- tearfulness
- loss of self-confidence