Workplace bullying

The silent epidemic

Those who can, do; those who can't, bully.

Tim Field

Morbidity patterns from general practice worldwide highlight the high prevalence of mental health problems, the commonest being depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance. Many of the sufferers admit to stress at work, and some of them are casualties of workplace bullying, defined as persistent, offensive, abusive, intimidating, malicious, or insulting behaviour; abuse of power; or unfair penal sanctions. These make the recipient feel upset, threatened, humiliated, or vulnerable, undermine their self confidence and may cause them to suffer stress.1 Rayner and Hoelt describe five categories of bullying behaviour—threats to professional status, threats to personal standing, isolation, overwork, and destabilisation.2

A deadly combination of economic rationalism, increasing competition, “downsizing,” and the current fashion for tough, dynamic, “macho” management styles have created a culture in which bullying can thrive, producing “toxic” workplaces.3 Such workplaces perpetuate dysfunction, fear, shame, and embarrassment, intimidating those who dare to speak out and …