Bullies in the Workplace and My Experiences as a Victim

I hear so many stories about cyberbullying; childhood bullies; and more recently, politicians bullying one another.

What I don’t hear about as much are workplace bullies.

Sure, there are many tales of harassment, but let’s call it what it is.

BULLYING.

Workplace bully stories are often unsaid, unheard, and ignored. There is a humility to it, similar to that of a victim of domestic abuse when their abuser is a female.

Many people that know me are surprised to learn that I have been a victim of workplace bullying for many years in my adult life. After all, I have built up to a great career. I am pretty outspoken and straightforward.

How could someone like me be bullied?

The problem was when my family relied on my paychecks and health insurance, I often didn’t feel like I had a choice. I was trapped.

Workplace Bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators. It is abusive conduct that is :

*Threatening, humiliating, or intimidating, or

*Work interference — sabotage — which prevents work from getting done, or

*Verbal abuse