Bullying From the Schoolyard to the Workplace
Author: ValueOptions, Inc.
Published: 2010/09/07 - Updated: 2026/02/21
Publication Type: Findings
Contents: Synopsis - Definition - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates - Related Publications
Synopsis: This information draws on observations from behavioral health professionals at ValueOptions, one of the largest independent behavioral health and wellness companies in the United States, which at the time of publication served over 23 million individuals. It outlines how bullying does not end in childhood but carries over into adult workplaces, where it takes subtler forms such as false accusations, intimidation, credit theft, and targeting employees for differences including disability, race, or gender. The article is useful for workers, employers, human resources professionals, and people with disabilities who may face heightened risk of being singled out, offering practical insight into recognizing workplace bullying tactics and understanding the serious mental and physical health consequences - including post-traumatic stress disorder - that can result when bullying goes unaddressed.
- Topic Definition: Workplace Bullying
Workplace bullying is repeated, harmful mistreatment of an employee by one or more individuals in a work setting, involving conduct that threatens, humiliates, intimidates, or undermines the targeted person's ability to do their job. It can include verbal abuse, deliberate exclusion, sabotage of work, false accusations, and the misuse of authority to control or punish. Unlike occasional workplace conflict, bullying is persistent and often aimed at exploiting perceived differences such as disability, race, gender, or accent. The effects are well documented and include chronic stress, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, increased absenteeism, and significant losses in productivity for both the individual and the organization.
Introduction
Kids Bullied at School - Adults Bullied in Workplace
With children heading back to school and parents potentially fearing a rekindling of any bullying that occurred last year, many may not realize that grown-ups face similar ostracism after the morning school drop off.
Main Content
EAP care managers at ValueOptions, the nation's largest independent behavioral health and wellness company, have noticed an increase in people accessing the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) because they are being bullied on the job.
"When you see it on the playground, it's clear," said Rich Paul, vice president of Health & Performance Solutions at ValueOptions. "At work, bullying can be less obvious and occur over a long period of time, resulting in extreme stress and anxiety for the employee."
The stress caused by being bullied on the job can cause physical and mental health problems, can result in increased use of sick days and has affected many bullying victims so greatly that they experience post-traumatic stress disorder, experts say.
"Workplace bullying doesn't just affect the person being bullied," Paul said. "It divides work teams, distracts from the job and causes untold hours and days of lost productivity for the employer." One alarming trend, notes Paul, is the rise of group bullying, which isolates and targets an employee for his or her differences.
Bullying on the job takes many forms: a manager assigning undesirable work, encouraging someone to quit or transfer, stealing credit for another person's work or verbal put-downs of race, gender, an accent or disability.
The Workplace Bullying Institute reports that the top five tactics used by workplace bullies are:
- Falsely accusing someone of errors that weren't made.
- Staring, intimidating or otherwise showing hostility.
- Discounting a person's thoughts during a meeting.
- Using the silent treatment to isolate.
- Exhibiting unpredictable mood swings in front of the group.
Bullying is often masked as a communication issue and, as such, may not receive the attention it deserves, Paul said. For many bullies, their behavior has never been challenged, and they are often shocked when this behavior is ultimately addressed as a performance issue.
Paul recommends that employers use their Employee Assistance Program to consult with managers and employees about how to best address on-the-job bullying.
"Employers need to be diligent in addressing workplace bullying and understand the potential consequences of ignoring it," Paul said. "Not only can bullying become a morale and productivity issue, but when victims of bullying finally reach their boiling point, they may quit or lash out at company property or co-workers."