Being Bullied at Work

What should you do if you are bullied at work? Know that you are not alone. According to 2024 data, in the United States, 52.2 million employees have been victims of workplace bullying. Women, African-Americans, and people with disabilities are frequent targets.

What you are going through does not just feel wrong. It is wrong, and it is abuse. You should not have to put up with it.

Do not blame yourself for being bullied. What happens to you is not your fault. Bullying relates more to power than your ability to work. Your employer may bully to hide their own shortcomings.

Asking your bully to stop could be risky. You may really want to confront them. However, be careful, especially your bully is your boss. In addition, your bully could threaten you, tell you that people will not believe you or start rumors to undermine your credibility.

Some steps you can take to protect yourself:

• Make written records of the bullying as soon as possible. This documentation should include the date, time and location of the incident and the names of others present.
• Keep physical evidence, including notes, e-mails, text messages, videos, audio recordings, disciplinary messages — whatever can back up your experience. You could also keep some of your work as proof of your good work; this proof could be useful, as some employers lie about your work performance.
• Tell your loved ones about what is happening. They can provide moral support and give advice.
• Meet with doctors and mental health professionals if you’re experiencing physical or mental health issues due to the bullying.
• See if your office has an anti-bullying policy. Although such policies often go unenforced, the existence of a policy can help you seek assistance internally. Office leadership may not want to address bullying despite the policy in the hope that bullying “will sort itself out,” or they may be too focused on the actual work, afraid of conflict, or ignorant of the consequences of workplace bullying.
• Report the bullying. You can go to Human Resources (HR) if your office has one. However, HR works for your employer, and may prioritize the employer’s interests over those of bullying targets.
• Read relevant local, state, and/or federal policies to learn about your rights.
• Talk with a lawyer or legal clinic. Some may provide free consultations. But be aware that most workplace bullying is not illegal, unless it relates to a protected trait, such as gender, race, and disability.
• Apply for jobs outside your workplace. Unfortunately, sometimes the best remedy is to leave your job. In fact, targets have a 62% chance of losing their jobs. Having another job lined up prevents you from worrying about finances and gaps in your resume and may help bolster your sense of self-worth.

Try not be upset if your colleagues do not help you. You may feel that since they are silent, they side with your bully or may be complicit. In truth, they may like you and recognize the bullying as unfair, but won’t speak up because they’re worried about their own jobs or fear retaliation.

Do not lose hope. You are worth it and do not deserve this negative treatment. You can end up in a more hospitable and respectful workplace.

Miriam Edelman, MPA, MSSW, is a Washington, D.C.,-based policy professional. Her experience includes policy work for Congress. Miriam’s undergraduate degree is from Barnard College, Columbia University, with majors in political science and urban studies. She has a master’s in public administration from Cornell University, where she was inducted into the national honorary society for public administration. She has a master’s of science in social work (focusing on policy) from Columbia University. She is a commissioner of the DC Commission on Persons with Disabilities. Miriam aims to continue her career in public service. She is especially interested in democracy, civic education, District of Columbia autonomy, diversity, health policy, women’s issues, and disabilities.

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay