See No Bully, Hear No Bully

When we discover bullying at work we sometimes ask supervisors, "Why did you let this go on for so long?" In their own defense, those we question sometimes respond, "I had no idea," or "How could I have known?" Unless these supervisors witnessed bullying incidents, we sometimes regard such responses as reasonable.

But that standard — first-person eye witnessing of bullying incidents — is a low bar when measuring supervisors' performance. Supervisors have many possible ways to detect bullying. Here are just a few examples of indicators of bullying.

Complaints about bullying

A complaint about bullying is perhaps the most glaring, flashing-red-light indicator of bullying. Yet some managers deal with complaints by placing the burden of proof on the complainant. Certainly a complaint isn't proof, but a complaint or a pattern of complaints ought to trigger a thorough, impartial investigation.

Expressed reluctance to interact

When one individual expresses or manifests a reluctance to interact with another, distaste is one possible explanation. Bullying of the first individual by the second is another.

Degraded work performance

Sudden declines in someone's work performance can arise from many factors. Being bullied is one possibility. If the person in question has also been newly isolated socially, bullying is more likely. When several people are affected, all could be targets, or some could be upset bystanders.

Elevated incidence of leave days

Targets of bullies sometimes seek temporary respite from abuse by calling in sick or taking vacation or unpaid leave. Sudden changes in patterns of leave taking can indicate bullying.

Changes of schedule

Targets of bullies can Desire for travel isn't unusual,
but when someone suddenly starts
volunteering for undesirable travel,
bullying is a possible explanationsometimes avoid their bullies by changing their work schedules. Bullies can respond by adjusting theirs to match. Watch for these adjustments.

Desire for undesirable travel

Desire for travel isn't unusual, but when someone suddenly starts volunteering for undesirable travel, bullying is a possible explanation. If the volunteer is the bully, the target might be resident at the remote site. If the volunteer is the target, the bully might be co-resident with the target, and the target might be fleeing by traveling.

Requests for reassignment

Reassignment can involve internal transfer at the same site, or even more drastically, relocation. Either can be motivated by factors other than being bullied. But bullying can be a motivator too.

Voluntary termination or early retirement

Beyond travel or reassignment, there is always quitting altogether. The more depressed the job market is, the more likely is being bullied a possible reason for voluntary termination or early retirement.

Affect

Another significant change one can observe in targets of bullies is a change of affect, which is the psychologist's word for manner or demeanor. Targets of bullies often display withdrawal, low energy, loss of initiative, and most of all, absence of joy.

These observations don't provide dead-certain, solid proof of bullying. But they are possible indicators. Managers who see them would do well to investigate what's happening.  Top    Next Issue

Is a workplace bully targeting you? Do you know what to do to end the bullying? Workplace bullying is so widespread that a 2014 survey indicated that 27% of American workers have experienced bullying firsthand, that 21% have witnessed it, and that 72% are aware that bullying happens. Yet, there are few laws to protect workers from bullies, and bullying is not a crime in most jurisdictions. 101 Tips for Targets of Workplace Bullies is filled with the insights targets of bullying need to find a way to survive, and then to finally end the bullying. Also available at Apple's iTunes store! Just . Order Now!

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Related articles

More articles on Workplace Bullying:

Workplace Bullying and Workplace Conflict: I

Bullying is unlike other forms of toxic conflict. That's why the tools we use to address toxic conflict simply do not work for bullying. In this Part I, we contrast bullying and ordinary toxic conflict.

Meeting Bullies: Advice for Chairs

Bullying in meetings is difficult to address, because intervention in the moment is inherently public. When bullying happens in meetings, what can you do?

When the Chair Is a Bully: II

Assertiveness by chairs of meetings isn't a problem in itself, but it becomes problematic when the chair's dominance deprives the meeting of contributions from some of its members. Here's Part II of our exploration of the problem of bully chairs.

Social Isolation and Workplace Bullying

Social isolation is a tactic widely used by workplace bullies. What is it? How do bullies use it? Why do bullies use it? What can targets do about it?

So You Want the Bullying to End: II

If you're the target of a workplace bully, ending the bullying can be an elusive goal. Here are some guidelines for tactics to bring it to a close.

See also Workplace Bullying and Conflict Management for more related articles.

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