Bullying at Work Definitions

Workplace bullying in the UK is defined as any unwanted behaviour that makes someone feel intimidated, humiliated, or offended.

It can be repetitive or persistent and can occur in various forms, such as verbal, physical, or psychological abuse.

Examples of bullying behaviour in the workplace include:

1. Verbal abuse: Shouting, swearing, or using offensive language towards a colleague.
2. Belittling or demeaning comments: Making derogatory remarks about someone’s abilities, appearance, or personal life.
3. Exclusion or isolation: Deliberately excluding someone from work-related activities, meetings, or social events.
4. Spreading rumours or gossip: Sharing false or damaging information about a colleague to harm their reputation.
5. Undermining or sabotaging work: Intentionally hindering someone’s progress, withholding information, or setting them up for failure.
6. Excessive criticism: Constantly finding fault with someone’s work, even when it is of a high standard.
7. Unfair treatment: Applying different standards or rules to someone compared to others, or favouritism towards certain individuals.
8. Intimidation or threats: Using physical gestures, aggressive body language, or making threats to instill fear in a colleague.
9. Cyberbullying: Sending abusive or threatening messages, emails, or social media posts to a colleague.
10. Overloading with work: Unreasonably assigning excessive workloads or unrealistic deadlines to create stress or pressure.

It is important to note that these examples are not exhaustive, and workplace bullying can manifest in various other ways.

Other examples of workplace bullying behaviour include:

1. Micromanagement: Constantly monitoring and controlling every aspect of someone’s work, leaving them feeling undermined and incapable.
2. Withholding resources or information: Intentionally denying someone access to necessary tools, resources, or information needed to perform their job effectively.
3. Excessive monitoring or surveillance: Implementing intrusive surveillance measures, such as constant monitoring of emails, phone calls, or video surveillance, to create a hostile work environment.
4. Discrimination: Treating someone unfairly or differently based on their protected characteristics, such as race, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation.
5. Sexual harassment: Engaging in unwelcome sexual advances, comments, or behavior that creates a hostile or offensive working environment.
6. Invasion of privacy: Intruding into someone’s personal space, accessing personal belongings without permission, or sharing personal information without consent.
7. Public humiliation: Criticising or ridiculing someone in front of others, intentionally embarrassing them, or making derogatory comments about them publicly.
8. Sabotaging career opportunities: Deliberately blocking someone’s chances of promotion, training, or advancement within the organisation.
9. Emotional manipulation: Using emotional tactics, such as guilt-tripping, gaslighting, or manipulating someone’s emotions to gain control or power over them.
10. Physical aggression: Engaging in physical acts of violence, such as pushing, hitting, or physically intimidating a colleague.

These examples highlight the various ways workplace bullying can occur, and it is crucial to address and prevent such behaviour to maintain a healthy and respectful work environment.