Workplace bullying is spreading like a bad virus. It amazes me that over 50% of all employees are being bullied in the workplace.

Bullies in the workplace come in all shapes and sizes, including men and women. In that sense, it is also men and women who are being bullied or harassed in the workplace.

The effects of being a victim of this type of action are varied, some experience depression to the point of having to go to a therapist. The victim over time may lose self-confidence and develop a loss of self-esteem.

Harassment in the workplace is now considered a hostile work environment. And while this is illegal, most victims will not take legal action.

Often times, workplace bullies will attempt to demean by constantly ridiculing the victim’s work and work habits. For both men and women, workplace harassment is not to be taken lightly.

Below is a list of things that might be considered in the workplace:

• Attacking the character of the person by spreading unpleasant rumors or gossip that are not true.
• Exclude the victim from the group, in order to keep it isolated.
• Intimidate a person
• Deliberately undermining or impeding a person’s work.
• Being physically abusive.
• Remove certain areas of responsibilities for no reason.
• Change the work structure and guidelines in the blink of an eye.
• Impose deadlines that cannot be met in order to cause failure.
• Not providing the necessary information or giving incorrect information that will cause the person to fail.
• Intruding on a person’s privacy by bothering, spying, or stalking.

It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that the company has a strong anti-harassment and hostile workplace policy.

If your company manual does not include these policies, then you are not creating a safe work environment for your employees.

If your management team doesn’t enforce the good policies you’ve written in your employee handbook, then you’re not creating a healthy work environment for your employees.

In addition to establishing a strong anti-harassment policy, it’s a good idea to send your management team to seminars that will help everyone better understand what exactly workplace bullying is and how it can be identified.

This type of bullying is simply bad for the company, it destroys the moral fiber of a company, and destroys the drive and desire of employees to succeed and improve.

Any employer who is not proactive in this area is damaging the company’s reputation and profits, not to mention contributing to a criminal offense.

These last words are strong, but a human life is very precious and needs to be preserved and not degraded.