The problem of consistently associating workplace harassment with sexual harassment at the workplace does not do justice to rid our workspaces of both. 

That most harassment has been linked to women at workspaces, ignores an important fact that workplace bullying and harassment is not gender-specific and encompasses the whole working class.  Bullying and harassment are often so underrated by most as the signs are very subtle and often look like you are dealing with work-related stress.

In fact, if you are feeling stressed at work and find it difficult to get yourself out of bed to go to work every day or the first day of every week, then it’s time you understood the underlying cause.  It could just be that your lack of motivation is an early warning signal.

Workplace harassment is real – it’s time for us to get real!

Most people want to believe that their workplace is free from bullying and harassment, but our own estimate is that at least one in five workers is dealing with workplace bullying.

To understand this in a bit more detail is to know for a fact that Workplace bullying and harassment is a pattern of persistent mistreatment that you experience in your workplace. It has its effects on emotional and/or physical well-being, and the mistreatment could range from physical abuse, verbal or nonverbal, and humiliation. This leaves a deep psychological scar on the people who are at the receiving end of such mistreatment.

The problem is that people do not realize that they are being mistreated or harassed.

WHAT THEN ARE THE SIGNS OF WORKPLACE BULLYING?

In a workplace, it becomes increasingly difficult for people to identify bullying as is often the case the boss is the perpetrator from which arose the cliché “people leave their bosses and not companies”.  This could be the case because of the authority they come to possess that at times even denies the managers themselves an opportunity to know when they are overstepping their boundaries with co-workers leading to bullying.  It does not mean that there are only bosses to worry about, even co-workers may turn into bullies usually when there exists an underlying conflict or some sort of jealousy or when they jostle for recognition and rewards.

How then can you identify that you are being bullied which is resulting in your anxiety and stress?

Given below are 9 signs that will be useful in identifying if you are a victim of workplace bullying.

EXCLUSION

When you find that you are consistently being excluded from crucial team meetings, discussions, conversations, decisions, or work-related activities. Or you find that your contributions are deliberately being ignored making you feel isolated or ignored.

RECEIVING UNDUE FLAK

When you are at the receiving end of unreasonable flak which imposes a feeling of guilt or shame then it is a sign that you are being bullied. You are made to feel that your output is not worthy enough despite you doing the best in your team. You will find this form of bullying is done by providing a low-performance appraisal rating in comparison to other members of the team.

NEVER GETTING CREDIT, ALWAYS RECEIVING BLAME

In the face of failure if you find that the blame is consistently falling in your lap, even when you are not directly responsible for the outcome, then it sure is time to take notice that you are being subtly bullied. It becomes more evident when the credit that you deserve is stolen from you and handed over on a platter to other members, right under your nose. If you always end up being a scapegoat during team failures, then you are bullied.

UNDERUTILIZATION

When you are constantly underutilized and end up getting the least favored responsibilities, tasks or jobs despite the fact that you have a high level of competency.

WITHHOLDING INFORMATION

When you are deliberately miss informed or information relevant to your work is being withheld or someone is providing you with false information then it is a sign that you are being bullied. Frequently being lied to is another indicator. Sometimes, providing false hope is also a form of deception or abuse of information to underplay your relevance to the team.

BLOCKING PROGRESS

When you find that your progress is being repeatedly and intentionally being blocked by providing flimsy reasons then it is definitely not a good sign. When promises made to you about your career path and growth are overlooked and promised roles and assignments are deliberately assigned to someone else.

CAUGHT IN CROSSFIRE

When you find yourselves being consistently caught in the crossfire of workplace conflict of which you have no idea. When rumors about you are circulated and you find yourselves being backstabbed by those who you trusted. When you become the victim of revenge just because you were found to be close to a colleague who was on the wrong side of your boss’s ire, or just that you were considered belonging to one of the warring factions.

UNREAL EXPECTATIONS

Bullying may also involve setting unrealistic expectations or hard-to-reach targets that at the outset are not possible to achieve. When it becomes far-fetched and much higher than your fellow co-workers and you are deceived into believing that you are being given such targets because of your competency.

FREQUENT CHANGE IN ROLES

When your roles and responsibilities are frequently changed without giving valid reasons or when you are not allowed to settle in any one role then you are a victim of workplace bullying. When you are also put in roles for which you do not have the necessary skill sets, you must beware!

If you are experiencing any of the above, get in touch with us for a FREE 30 min. assessment and consultation – Write to us 👇