If you feel as though you are experiencing bullying in the workplace, this can be a very devastating and distressing issue. You may be feeling very low and anxious at the thought of going to work and facing the individual or group that may be subjecting you to this. Workplace bullying can take shape or form in many different ways. You may be questioning whether what you are going through is workplace bullying and a lot of this depends on if you actually are feeling bullied or harassed by a particular individual or a group of people. There are many instances of bullying behaviour in the workplace, such as the following:
· Being constantly criticised, having duties and responsibility taken away without good reason
· Shouting, aggressive behaviour or threats
· Being put down or made to feel like the butt of the jokes
· Being persistently picked on in front of others or in private
· Being constantly ignored, victimised and excluded regularly
· Constantly mocking and attacking members of staff
· Spreading malicious rumours about members of staff
· Misuse of power or position to make someone feel uncomfortable or victimised
· Making threats about job security without any basis or substance
· Blocking promotion or progress within the workplace
These are just a few signs of bullying and there are many more and it is dependent on the organisation or the industry too. Unfortunately, bullying can take its toll on your health and wellbeing. If you do feel that you are under duress, please do make an appointment with your GP so that you are able to get support for this. It is important to keep a diary of all incidents with times, dates, witnesses and what happened. This will help you enormously, especially if you decide to take this further.
If you are feeling bullied, confide in a manager or the Human Resources department in your workplace. This might not be so easy to do if it is a small organisation or you are being harassed or bullied by a manager. You could ask if they have a policy in place to deal with bullying and harassment at work. If you are a member of a trade union, you could get in touch with them and ask them for advice and representation. If you have house insurance, then you may be covered for legal expenses too, it’s worth checking this.
If you are looking to take this issue to an employment tribunal, you do need the best advice possible. Therefore, please get in touch with the Tribunals Helpline on 0845 959 775 so you are able to get advice on the steps you have to take.
The following organisations and websites can give you further advice and information: