Bullying in the workplace - how to recognize and prevent it

For most of us, when we hear the word bullying, minds immediately go back to the school yard. But the sad reality is, bullying happens between adults as well and often in the workplace. 

Depending on our job, we can spend a lot of time with our colleagues – sometimes more than we spend with our loved ones – but sometimes our colleagues are not people we would choose to spend time with. The differing personalities and clashing professional goals can lead to mistrust and a tense atmosphere and bullying. 

Bullying v. harassment

Harassment is behaviour that is offensive, intimidating, or humiliating and is often based on a protected characteristic (race, gender, religion, disability, etc.). Harassment can be one single incident, but bullying is repeated behaviour that creates an imbalance of power (regardless of organizational hierarchy) and often seeks to isolate the person being bullied.

As with harassment, just because a person does not mean to bully someone, or doesn’t realise their behaviour is bullying, does not negate the fact it is bullying. 

Behaviours to look for

Bullying can present in myriad ways: behavioural or interpersonal, work-related, emotional. Here are some behaviours that are bullying:

• Deliberately excluding a colleague from meetings, team events, social activities, etc.
• Spreading rumours about a colleague
• Taking credit for someone else’s work
• Micromanaging
• Making fun of a colleague’s ideas and contributions
• Giving impossible deadlines
• Withholding important information necessary for performing job tasks

Signs an employee is being bullied

Bullying can be subtle, and easy to miss among the day-to-day activities of a workplace. Oftentimes, the changing behaviours of the bullied employee are more visible.

• They withdraw or become isolated
• They show signs of stress and anxiety
• Their productivity or the quality of their work may drop
• They avoid certain colleagues/managers
• They take more frequent sick days and/or complain of headaches, stomachaches or other physical ailments that are often related to stress

Preventing Bullying

The first step to preventing bullying is having a robust Anti-Bullying Policy. The policy should outline unacceptable behaviours and provide the procedures for persons to make a bullying complaint. 

Note: In BC and SK, under Occupational Health and Safety regulations, all businesses are required to have an Anti-Bullying Policy.

The policy should be backed up with a zero tolerance towards bullying; make it clear that bullying is not acceptable at any level of the business.

Train all employees to recognize and report bullying, understand their rights and responsibilities, and how they can seek support if they witness or are a victim of bullying. 

Encourage a positive, respectful workplace. It is crucial to be kind and respectful and tolerant of others, and this includes those that have different opinions and values than us. 

Creating a workplace where everyone feels safe and respected is essential for both employee well-being and business success. By recognizing the signs of bullying, implementing a strong Anti-Bullying Policy, and fostering a culture of respect and inclusion, employers can help prevent bullying before it starts. Remember, a zero-tolerance approach and ongoing training are key to ensuring that bullying has no place in your business. 

CFIB members can access a template Anti-Bullying Policy, a template Respectful Workplace Statement, and the Respectful Workplace poster in the Member Portal.

Not a member? Join today to access these and many other resources and benefits.