There is a big difference between being bullied at work and good old-fashion teasing. As an employee, you need to know when people have crossed the line and when they are simply having fun. On the same token, you must keep yourself in check, as you never want to come across as a bully.
Bullying can lead to a hostile work environment. As a result, the victims find that they are unable to do their jobs as expected. Furthermore, there are times when this behavior carries over into the victim’s personal life. For example, here are some things that happen outside of work:
— You get nervous before heading to the office in the morning.
— You take out your bad mood, caused by bullying, on your family and friends.
— You begin to take more days off of work.
— You start to think that your only option is to find a new job.
— You begin to notice that the bullying is impacting your health, such as high blood pressure.
In addition to the trouble outside of work, things only get worse on the job. No matter what you do, the bully never leaves you alone.
These are just a few of the things you can look at to understand if you are being bullied at work.
You need to have a firm grasp on workplace bullying and harassment, as this can have a negative impact on your personal and professional life. There are steps you can take to put an end to this, and you should never feel bad about exercising your rights.
Source: Workplace Bullying Institute, “You could be bullied at work and not recognize it …. Know the signs,” accessed June 22, 2015
