Every worker has the right to be safe and free from the risk of bullying when they are at work. If you are experiencing violence or bullying in your workplace, then you are not safe. Being employed does not give your boss or colleagues permission to assault, threaten, harass or repeatedly bully you.
What is workplace bullying?
Bullying is usually seen as acts or verbal comments that could 'mentally' hurt or isolate a person in the workplace. Sometimes, bullying can involve negative physical contact as well.
Bullying usually involves repeated incidents or a pattern of behaviour that is intended to intimidate, offend, degrade or humiliate a particular person or group of people. It has also been described as the assertion of power through aggression.
All sorts of behaviour can be bullying. Below are just some examples:
- Practical jokes
- Being sworn at
- Someone insulting you
- Being excessively supervised
- Being constantly criticised
- Being put down in public
- Rumours being spread about you
- Being overloaded with work or not given enough work to do
- Not getting the information you need to do your job
- Your personal effects or work equipment being damaged
- Being threatened with the sack
