Unfortunately, the workplace isn’t an environment where one can work in peace and harmony for some people. There are many companies that tolerate bullies that make life miserable for some of the employees. In fact, sometimes the bosses themselves are the ones doing the bullying.
There are times that work is stressful but it should never be something that affects your mental well-being. Bullying is a lot different than feeling pressure to perform. It takes on a much more serious level and can cause a lot of harm. To properly understand if you are actually being bullied or just burnt out from work you need to look for some signs. In this article, we will go over several of the signs that show that you’re actually being bullied and need HKM employment lawyers.
1 – You’re being isolated
Workplaces can be very cliquey places with a sort of hierarchy of popularity. Sometimes a bully will want to make somebody feel like they aren’t part of the in-group and will work to make them feel inferior by being excluded from a lot of events or social gatherings.
The isolation that really makes it clear that there is a bully at work is when you are excluded to the point that you aren’t able to get your work done. You are deliberately kept out of the loop so that your work suffers and you start having issues with your superiors.
Your performance reviews start getting negative since your work is not able to be completed since you are not part of the group. This can lead to you getting fired or being passed over for raises and promotions.
This alone is not going to help you if you file a complaint with your local labor office but is something that should be documented since it is usually just one sign out of many.
2 – You’re humiliated in front of coworkers
Part of what a bully hopes to achieve is to make you feel intimidated and that you are not worthy of esteem. A way for them to do this is to use language that is hurtful or insulting in front of their coworkers toward you.
If you are criticized at work then this alone is not a sign of bullying. Yet, a professional will pull you aside and address the issue face to face and not in public. When it is done in public with language that is meant to humiliate you then there is no way to do this professionally.
3 – You’re constantly cut down
A healthy workplace is one where people are free to throw their ideas into the open and see what will work and what won’t. When you are constantly being cut down and your ideas invalidated then you are likely facing a bully.
They don’t want you to feel that you can contribute and want you to feel hopeless and disheartened. They are hoping that you will quit so they can get you out of their hair, or they will backtrack to make it so that you stay and they have an easy target there to help them feel better about themselves.