Workplace bullying is a serious and widespread problem that negatively impacts employees and organizations. According to a survey, over 1 in 4 US workers reported feeling bullied at work. Bullying takes many forms including verbal abuse, offensive conduct, work sabotage, and more. It can cause health issues for employees and lead to high turnover. The document provides tips for organizations to implement anti-bullying policies and foster a supportive culture to address this important issue.

1. THE DISTURBING TRUTHS ABOUT
WORKPLACE BULLYING
A GUIDE TO STOMPING OUT BEHAVIORS THAT
ARE QUIETLY RAVAGING YOUR ORGANIZATION

2. A PRO FOOTBALL PLAYER
A NATIONAL TV JOURNALIST
These are not the caliber of professionals you might typically associate
with workplace bullying. Still, the high-profile cases of Jonathan Martin
and Ann Curry rocked the public, and le us fearing that workplace
bullying was more pervasive than we thought.
Whether it’s minor slights or malicious behaviors, workplace bullying
is unacceptable at any level. And it’s up to you, employers, to put a
zero-tolerance policy in place at your organization.
Use this e-book for guidance on how to do this — and reap the
rewards of happy employees.

3. WHAT IS WORKPLACE BULLYING EXACTLY?
The definition of bullying at work will vary considerably depending
on whom you talk to. It’s o en a gray area, but when someone
feels bullied, it typically involves a pa ern of behavior where
there is a gross lack of professionalism, consideration and respect
— and that can come in various shapes and sizes. Whether it’s
through intimidation, personal insults or behavior that is more
passive-aggressive, bullying can be harmful to the individual and
the organization overall.
- ROSEMARY HAEFNER VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES AT CAREERBUILDER

4. IS WORKPLACE BULLYING SIGNIFICANTLY
IMPACTING ORGANIZATIONS TODAY?
We’d say so, given that more than 1 in 4 (28 percent) U.S. workers have
reported feeling bullied at work. In fact, nearly 1 in 5 of those individuals
went on to quit their jobs as a result of bullying.
BULLIED

5. WHAT CONSTITUTES BULLYING?
According to the Workplace Bullying Institute, bullying can take three main forms:
VERBAL ABUSE
OFFENSIVE CONDUCT
OR BEHAVIORS
WORK INTERFERENCE
OR SABOTAGE

6. THE MYRIAD FACES OF
WORKPLACE BULLYING
CareerBuilder asked workers to describe how they have actually
have been bullied in the workplace. They said:
THEY WERE FALSELY ACCUSED OF MISTAKES THEY DIDN’T MAKE
THEIR COMMENTS WERE IGNORED OR NOT ACKNOWLEDGED
A DIFFERENT SET OF STANDARDS OR POLICIES WAS USED FOR THEM
GOSSIP WAS SPREAD ABOUT THEM
THEY WERE CONSTANTLY CRITICIZED BY THE BOSS OR CO-WORKERS

7. WORKPLACE BULLYING KNOWS NO BORDERS
A new CareerBuilder survey showed that minorities and individuals with
lower incomes tend to be bullied more than others. Still, workplace
bullying extends to many others within the organization, including those in
management roles and workers with a post-secondary education.
One of the most surprising takeaways from the study was that bullying
impacts workers of all backgrounds regardless of race, education, income
and level of authority within an organization.
- ROSEMARY HAEFNER VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES AT CAREERBUILDER

8. BULLYING BREAKDOWN BY MINORITIES
This may not come as a huge surprise, but minorities tend to
have it a bit rougher even when it comes to workplace
bullying. See the stats for yourself:
Interestingly, nearly 2 in 5 (37 percent) Caucasian males
have experienced bullying in the workplace as well.
PHYSICALLY DISABLED
WORKERS
LGBT WORKERS FEMALE WORKERS
AFRICAN-AMERICAN WORKERS HISPANIC WORKERS

9. THE FACE BEHIND THE BULLY
Curious to know who the culprits are?
The majority (53 percent) of bullied individuals said the
bully was older; just 1 in 4 indicated the bully was younger.
A CO-WORKER AN EXECUTIVETHE BOSS

10. STAND UP OR BACK DOWN?
Nearly half of workers who are bullied actually take action to try to stop the
bullying behavior. Of those who confront the situation, 45 percent said the
bullying stopped a erwards; 44 percent said it didn’t really make a difference;
and 11 percent reported that their situation had worsened.
What’s disheartening is that about a third of bullied workers
said they reported it to HR, but more than half of those
who did never saw any action taken.
NO DIFFERENCESTOPPED WORSENED

11. MORE THAN JUST HURT FEELINGS
OR A BRUISED EGO
The effects of workplace bullying can result in stress, insomnia, high
blood pressure, digestive problems and post-traumatic stress disorder,
according to a CareerBuilder study.
SUFFERED HEALTH-
RELATED ISSUES
QUIT
THEIR JOBS

12. BULLYING COMES AT A HIGH PRICE
Bullying won’t just cost your employees — it’ll cost you, too. If bullying is
occurring in your workplace, your organization will be at greater risk for:
HIGH TURNOVER
DAMAGE TO THE
COMPANY’S REPUTATION
POTENTIAL LEGAL COSTS
ABSENTEEISM AND
LOST PRODUCTIVITY

13. USE THESE TIPS TO HELP YOUR EMPLOYEES
DEAL WITH WORKPLACE BULLIES
It’s a good idea to proactively arm your employees with a quick how-to guide
that will help them if they become victims of workplace bullying themselves.
Advise them to:
KEEP RECORD OF
ALL INCIDENTS OF
BULLYING
CONSIDER TALKING
TO THE BULLY
ALWAYS FOCUS
ON RESOLUTION

14. AS AN ORGANIZATION TAKE PROACTIVE
STEPS TO BEAT THE BULLIES
Giving your employees the resources they need to combat workplace bullying
is a great first step, BUT you must also think even harder about how to create
an environment that condemns and prevents bullying in the first place.
USE THESE TIPS TO TAKE A PROACTIVE STANCE AGAINST BULLYING AS A COMPANY
Create a zero-tolerance policy at your organization.
Foster a supportive culture.
Introduce an anti-bullying policy to employees.
Incorporate staff from all levels of your organization to help develop your policy.
Include skills to identify and deal with bullying during management training.
Spread knowledge of both the definition of workplace bullying and your organization’s policy.
Increase the perceived cost to the perpetrator.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

15. ABOUT CAREERBUILDER®
Recruiting is complicated. CareerBuilder makes it easy. We understand as the economy changes, so do the needs
of the businesses and individuals we serve. Whatever your situation, we’re here to empower you with the resources
you need to find, hire and keep the best people. From candidates sourcing, to comprehensive, easy-to-understand
workforce data, to so ware that streamlines your recruiting process, our solutions are designed to make your
recruitment strategy simple, fast and effective, so you can focus on your No. 1 asset — your people.
Twi er.com/CBforEmployers
Blog: www.TheHiringSite.com
CONNECT WITH US
Facebook.com/CBforEmployers
YouTube.com/CBforEmployers
Linkedin.com/company/careerbuilder-for-employers