Workplace bullying is a pervasive problem that not only impacts employee well-being but also disrupts team performance and contributes to on-the-job tension and conflict in organizations across the country. In contrast to the occasional disagreement or an isolated incident, bullying is pervasive, health-harming maltreatment of one or more individuals by one or more perpetrators. It may include verbal abuse, offensive behavior/acts (including nonverbal) which are threatening, humiliating, or intimidating, and work interference sabotage which stands in the way of work being done.
The Nature of Workplace Bullying
The Civil Mediation Council (CMC) describes bullying as "a repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons by one or more perpetrators." Such mistreatment cab may include threats, humiliation, intimidation, sabotage of a person's work, or verbal abuse. Workplace bullying is quite prevalent as the CMC's 2023 survey indicated that 35% of U.S. employees have been bullied in the workplace, and a further 19% have witnessed it. These figures highlight that bullying does not occur in isolated cases but is an organizational issue that must be addressed seriously.
In my book, Conflict Management in Healthcare: Creating a Culture of Cooperation (2021), I note that bullying can appear as straightforward aggression—yelling or public humiliation of another person, or explicit undermining others by ‘forgetting’ to include them in meetings, engaging in malicious gossip, or micromanaging that disempowers another person. It should come as no surprise that managers, as people with power over others, are often the perpetrators, making it difficult for subordinates to report. In hierarchical or high-stress cultures, this type of bullying is often legitimized or disguised as "tough leadership" and ignored by human resource professionals.
Psychological and Emotional Consequences
The psychological damage of workplace bullying is significant as those being bullied feel chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. Long-term exposure can lead to feelings of learned helplessness, in which the individual begins to believe that nothing will improve their situation and hence withdraws and degrades mentally.
These emotional consequences don't remain confined within the victimized individual. As team members witness bullying and don't observe any form of disciplinary action, they too suffer from poor morale, fear, and diminished trust in organizational leadership. This leads to systemic loss of morale and generates a culture of silence that continues the cycle of abuse.
Conflict Among Teams
Bullying perpetuates interpersonal conflict by disrupting communication, trust, and cohesion. Victims might become defensive or withdrawn, straining relationships within the team. When the bully is in a position of authority, team members often take sides with some supporting management (to stay safe) and others quietly siding with the person(s) being bullied. Group polarization might be seen, where groups emerge around the victim and the bully, and gossip, passive-aggressive posturing, or open hostility follows. One classic example is a situation from a mid-sized marketing firm where a department head was known to publicly embarrass employees during weekly meetings. Over time, high performers left the company, and remaining employees from other groups avoided collaborating with the department. Production slowed and projects were delayed due to a lack of cross-functional interaction. Disharmony became the standard—not due to professional disagreements, but due to emotional repercussions of bullying that led other employees to dodge working with the toxic manager and their department. As this example illustrates, workplace bullying acts like a virus in the organizational system that degrades interpersonal relationships and feeds micro (individual-to-individual) and macro (department- or organization-level) conflict.
Organizational Stress and Burnout
Bullying or being a witness to bullying affects employees and leads them to take sick leave, become disconnected from work, or perform below their ability due to mental exhaustion. According to a study by the 2020 Journal of Business Ethics, workplace bullying is a key indicator of burnout among employees when the company does not have in place mechanisms to resolve conflicts or does not penalize bullies.
Burnout can include emotional fatigue, cynicism, and decreased professional effectiveness and is contagious and transmitted across groups as a form of cultural contagion. Workloads are often challenging in contexts such as high-pressure industries within the healthcare sector, education sector, and tech start-ups, and thus bullying becomes a factor in facilitating burnout. The result of burnout includes increased rates of absenteeism, staff turnover, and declining levels of job satisfaction, all of which drains the business both in human capital and finance.
An example of a high-profile case is the 2019 report on the UK's National Health Service (NHS), which found that over 25% of staff had been bullied or harassed by their managers. The resulting stress resulted in high turnover and widespread staff dissatisfaction, ultimately affecting patient care. This example illustrates how bullying affects not only employees but organizational performance and external outcomes as well.
Cultural and Structural Factors
Bullying tends to thrive in competitive, high-stress, or poorly managed cultures. When senior management is indifferent to inappropriate conduct by those perceived to be high producers, bullying is indirectly encouraged. In the absence of clear policies or confidential reporting mechanisms, bullies are further encouraged. On the other hand, organizations that put a genuine high focus on psychological safety, emotional intelligence, and inclusive, respectful leadership will have less bullying and conflict. Structural changes like anonymous reporting procedures, well understood conflict resolution processes, emotional intelligence training for all employees, and zero-tolerance policies help to foster a healthier culture.
Prevention of Bullying
Workplace bullying should be addressed on multiple fronts. First, organizations need to acknowledge that bullying is a reality and, in any form, is a significant risk to employee health and organizational performance. Leadership needs to set the example by modeling respectful behavior and upholding a commitment to a genuine ethical culture. Second, measures need to be established to prevent, report, and respond to bullying. This involves explicit anti-bullying policies, employee training, conflict resolution processes, and support services like counseling and coaching.
At a broader level, a shift toward compassionate, respectful leadership and human-centered organizational values is essential. Leaders who prioritize empathy, listen actively, and foster open communication create a buffer against toxic behaviors. Psychological safety—where employees feel safe to speak up, ask for help, and take risks without fear of ridicule—becomes the cornerstone of a healthy workplace.
Workplace bullying is not a personal grievance—it is an organizational issue that perpetuates conflict, stress, and organizational dysfunction. Its effects reach far beyond the directly affected individuals to influence team morale, productivity, and work climate. Detection and resolution of bullying through effective policies, effective leader development, and a culture of accountability are as much a strategic issue as ethics. By cultivating cultures where respect and psychological safety are the norm, organizations can minimize conflict, reduce stress, and maximize the best of their people.
About Garry McDaniel, Ed. d:
Garry McDaniel is author of Pawsitive Wisdom: Canine Insights for Happy Life and is an international speaker on topics of life balance, leadership development, team building, and personal change. Contact Garry at garrymcdaniel@aol.com.
