6 Tips for Dealing With Workplace Bullying

From a workplace perspective, bullying can be regarded as a violent activity and one must know dealing with workplace bullying. This is mainly due to the psychological scars that it leaves on the victim. However, if left unchallenged, bullies can also trigger workplace violence due to the person being bullied or escalate their bad behavior into violence themselves. In this article, we will guide you and provide you the tips for dealing with workplace bullying before you do lose valuable team members or if your individual workplace productivity suffers.

Check your company’s policy for workplace bullying

You should check if your workplace does have a policy for harassment or dealing with workplace bullying. You are usually provided details of the company’s policy when you first start your job. This will provide you with an idea of who to communicate your ideas to and what processes you must follow. You can also evaluate and assess what are the possible consequences for the individual bullying you.

Ask for bullying to stop

It is a fact that asking a co-worker to stop bullying is certainly not easy. As a result, it is totally understandable to feel anxious or scared about telling an individual what is happening. You should certainly try to remember that it is certainly not the individual responsibility of yourself for making sure that everyone does feel happy at your workplace.

Discuss with the company management

You can discuss the issue of dealing with workplace bullying with your supervisor or manager regarding the next steps. If your company’s manager bullies you, you can take your individual concerns to a responsible individual or discuss it directly with human resources (HR). As an individual, you can use your notes as a point of reference and can clearly elaborate on what’s going on and how it is affecting you as a person. Many times, your company’s HR will try to sort things out through negotiation. However, the person bullying you may get a written notice or can even get a termination. If you think that talking to your HR or manager is not possible, it is better to escalate the issue even further for dealing with workplace bullying.

Don't take it personally

Although this is easier said than done, you should do your best to not take bullying personally. Always remember that if someone is bullying you, it is their personal character that reflects in them. More often, a bully acts from a place of jealousy, insecurity or also from a need to control. The targets of such bullies are usually high performers that perform well at the company. As a result, you should practice having healthy emotional boundaries that can keep you from reacting negatively or even feeling bad about yourself when workplace bullying occurs.

Documented record

An important piece of advice is to record the bullying with yourself. Making a record of bullying in the workplace is essential to remember. You should always document everything that is directly or indirectly related to your individual interactions with a bully. This not only helps to provide a comprehensive timeline of events but it will also help you to recall information in an easier and effective manner.

Leave the organization

As an employee, your personal wellbeing is pivotal. Without it, you can’t provide any benefit to anyone. If you have done your best to eradicate bullying, then it is beneficial to explore other options and leave the company for good. You may feel like the bully may have triumphed. However, when you do take care of yourself and leave a bad company, you are the clear winner here. Also, you should know that you are working for a company that takes care of its employees and also does not encourage abusive behavior when it occurs.