Workplace bullying denotes the systematic harassment or exclusion of an individual in the workplace over a longer period of time.
Workplace bullying denotes the systematic harassment, discrimination or exclusion of an individual in the workplace over a longer period of time. This can cause extreme stress and, in the worst case, even lead to suicide among those affected by it.
The expression is now frequently used, partly to describe individual arguments or personal attacks. But it is really only possible to talk of workplace bullying when someone is subject to an act of aggression at least once a week, over a period of at least six months. The main cause is always an unresolved conflict. It specifically involves systematic scheming and harassment. Such psychological terror at work is initiated and orchestrated by colleagues to harm a particular person over a longer period by applying constant pressure. It can also be practised by one or more managers – so-called ‘bullying bosses’ – against particular employees or even among the leadership team itself. Employee harassment may be due to negligence or intent. In Germany, workplace bullying is sadly already a part of everyday working life: according to the Federal Statistics Office, around 2 percent of the workforce , i.e. more than a million people are affected by workplace bullying. It is very often initiated by a boss or supervisor. Instances of positive bullying are rare. Workplace bullies reach their goals in almost 80 percent of cases. Women are marginally more likely to be the victims of workplace bullying.
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