Bullying at the workplace prevalent

Do you feel bullied at work? A new study shows that one in every seven employees is bullied at the workplace.

“They do involve gossip, they do involve rumors,” said Monica Bitrick, the director of human resources at Advantage Employer Solutions in Idaho Falls.

They can even escalate to threats and violence. Bullying in the workplace is a problem in eastern Idaho.

Bitrick says one of the main reasons for bullying is becoming too close with co-workers.

“Oftentimes as with any relationships, there’s conflicts, and issues, and when those interpersonal relationships come into play they do start affecting the workplace,” said Bitrick.

And it seems to be occurring more with the younger generations entering the workforce, with women being targeted for bullying.

“Women more emotionally reactive towards situation. Men are more direct (and have an attitude of) this is how its going to be,” said Bitrick.

According to Bitrick, a victim’s degraded work ethic and demeanor can also rub off on other co-workers. That’s why an employee is bullied or witnesses bullying taking place, reporting the situation right away to management or human resources is important. Management should help assess and put an end to the situation.

“Every employer is going to do what they can to maintain those employees being their most important resource,” said Bitrick.

Other bullying examples include ignoring a coworker, taking credit for someone else’s work or even using obscene language.