Although bullies are popular in high school, a new study says bullying is common in work places too. According to the survey, bullying is suffered or witnessed by almost six in ten people at work.
Bullying comes in forms of shouting, intimidation, shoving and other threatening behaviours. In a study of 2,000 workers, 37% claimed they had been bullied by their workmates, while 21% said they've seen bullying acts at work.
In the survey funded by employment law specialists Slater and Gordon, politics, deadlines and personality clashes caused tensions among co-workers. For these workers, only 48% of those surveyed said they did something about the bullying.
"Our research shows that most people who witness bullying prefer to do nothing about it," Slater and Gordon employment lawyer Claire Dawson told Mirror UK. "They are concerned for their own positions and aren't willing to put their necks on the line, especially when they don't know how an employer will respond to the issue."
10% admitted they feared losing their jobs if they complain, while 23% said they thought these problems aren't their responsibility. In fact, 33% felt it's awkward to talk about the office bullying, while 26% said it is part of their work culture and they're used to it already.
52% have witnessed a workmate being sworn at by a bully and 25.3% had seen a colleague being deliberately humiliated. Worse, 5% said physical violence is often involved.
"The idea that people can be subjected to physical violence while at work is quite alarming," Dawson added. "This can have a devastating impact on the person who is being bullied and can result in depression and anxiety."
For 56% of those questioned, bullying came in form of a "workplace banter" while 68% shared subtle acts like not inviting a colleague to work lunches, drinks and meetings are also common.
Dawson advised victims that confronting the bully directly or through a manager should solve this problem.
