There are many articles about bullying in schools and cyber bullying. However, workplace bullying is often overlooked. According to the Workplace Bullying Institute, workplace bullying is four times more common than sexual harassment or racial discrimination. Bullying is verbal or physical abusive conduct that is intimidating, humiliating, or frightening. It can also be sabotage and work interference which prevents your work from getting done. It is both acts of commission (doing things to others) or omission (withholding resources from others) People are affected by bullying, both as a target and a witness. The targets of workplace bullying are often the stronger workers, or a veteran worker who are perceived to be a threat to the Bully. The Bully feels threatened by the success of others, and puts people down to fool observers to think they are strong. The negative effects of bullying can cost the company. Bullying creates a toxic workplace culture which causes people to take sides, or under-perform in order to stay off the bully’s radar. The targets of the bullying lose confidence and their performance suffers. If no action is taken, the target will leave the organization, which costs the organization a good employee and the cost of hiring someone new. The cycle will continue if not stopped. By not acting, you tacitly endorse bullying. To prevent or to stop it, you need to implement a plan where you:

• Clearly define what is bullying.

• Do not ask for relief from the bully’s boss. That is the person who loves or fears them most.

• Construct a system for reporting instances of bullying.

• Make the business case that the bully is “too expensive to keep.”

• Implement an investigation process for complaints.

• Enforce consequences against bullying.

• Have a strict no-tolerance stance against bullying. These measures can help to rid you of workplace bullying, and can also be used to prevent it from happening and ensure a safe environment for all.