For many Missouri people, the process of going to work each day and earning a living is practically second nature. They arrive at their job and complete their assigned responsibilities to earn a wage and pay for every day necessities. Because work plays such a critical role in the lives of so many people, they may find it difficult to recognize if they are being mistreated in the workplace. Even worse, if people are experiencing workplace bullying, they may be victims of prolonged mistreatment if they do not understand how to combat this surprisingly common problem.
Forbes reports that a study of thousands of participants revealed that nearly 96 percent of the people surveyed experienced some type of workplace bullying. Other results revealed that 80 percent of bullies had negatively affected five or more of their coworkers.
In an article written by the LA Times, the types of behavior that qualify as workplace bullying include the following:
- Gossiping
- Micromanaging
- Exclusion
- Belittling
- Vulgarity
- Taking credit for another’s work
If someone is being bullied, they should take proactive measures to prevent further incidents from occurring. Some of the things they can do include the following:
- Document their interactions with the person who is bullying them.
- Be familiar with their company’s policy for dealing with and disciplining bullies.
- Report any incidents to their supervisor in a timely manner.
- Look for patterns of negative treatment.
- Avoid reacting to their bully’s demeaning conduct.
Sometimes, in severe cases of workplace bullying, a person may require professional help or therapy to overcome the damaging effects they may have experienced.
