Impacts of workplace bullying and harassment on mental health

J reported that he has been being harassed by his co-worker for the last two years as retaliation after a prior minor conflict. The patterns of harassment involve humiliation, intimidation, offensive behaviors and statements, spreading of groundless rumors, and so on. The bully tries to intimidate J by constantly giving J nasty looks and gestures as if he is going to hurt him, or waiting for J to fail at something so he can report it to the manager. J does not feel safe in front of the bully, as he is targeted. The bully would brag about his power, that he could harm J in different ways or get him fired. At the same time, the bully ostracizes J when they are out in public. The bully makes sarcastic comments about J in front of others for whatever J says or does. The bully would also show aggression and rude behavior to J by constantly staring him down or interrupting his conversations with others, and he would yell at J and dump J’s belongings into the garbage can. While the bully is spreading false rumors he is extremely articulate, knowing how to talk right to ensure that he is plausible and likable.

Lately, J finds himself being more emotional and tearful, and when talking or thinking about his work he gets shaky, feels waves of anger on his body, and has developed poor motivation and isolation. He also noticed that he has been feeling nervous, anxious, difficult to relax, and is easily irritated. He feels extreme frustration when he does not feel powerless instead of safe at work. He tried everything he could to stop the harassment but in the end, he developed learned hopelessness. His main physical symptoms are tensed muscles, numbness, and tingling, feeling hot and chilled, physical weakness, lightheadedness, sweating, heart pounding, insomnia, nausea, diarrhea, shortness of breath, chest pain, and so on. He is completely withdrawn even from his wife, children, and friends. Soon after he was diagnosed with panic attacks and depression, and he is now on sick leave.

Bullying and Harassment in BC

Workplace bullying and harassment are serious concerns in British Columbia (BC), with growing awareness of their detrimental effects on mental health and overall well-being. Bullying can take various forms, such as verbal abuse, exclusion, spreading rumors, or intimidation, creating a hostile work environment. In BC, laws and regulations emphasize the responsibility of employers to ensure that workplaces are free from harassment and bullying, and employees are encouraged to report such behaviors to protect their rights and mental health.

Workplace Harassment in BC

Workplace harassment in BC, also known as harassment in the workplace in BC, is prohibited under provincial legislation. WorkSafeBC, the provincial agency overseeing worker safety, provides guidelines and processes to address harassment. This includes setting up mechanisms for employees to report incidents and mandating that employers implement preventive measures, such as education and awareness programs. Mental harassment is recognized as a significant concern, and employees facing continuous bullying or harassment may qualify for mental health support and, in certain cases, compensation if the harassment leads to a psychological injury.

Many scholarly research studies claim that often individuals who had experienced workplace harassment also experience trauma, and often these individuals develop mental health issues such as PTSD, anxiety/panic attacks, depression, and so on. Yet not many people are aware of the trauma of bullying and harassment even while they are right in the middle of the abuse and trauma. Thus, it is crucial to know the criteria of bullying and harassment.

Symptoms of PTSD from Workplace Bullying

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop in individuals subjected to prolonged workplace bullying. Some common symptoms include flashbacks to traumatic incidents, heightened anxiety, nightmares, and emotional numbing. The individual may also experience hypervigilance, constantly feeling on edge or fearing future episodes of harassment. In severe cases, workplace bullying can cause the person to avoid work altogether, leading to increased absenteeism and even job loss. These symptoms require early intervention, as untreated PTSD can severely impact both mental and physical health.

The Government of Canada website suggests asking yourself the following questions to determine whether it is harassment or not: What was the context of the incident? Was the behaviour improper? Were you offended by the behaviour? Did the incident occur within the scope of company policy? Did the incident occur repeatedly? What is the intention of the individual for engaging in such kind of behaviour? Is the behaviour reasonable and acceptable by any others? Are you were being singled out and treated differently than your colleagues? Is the incident related to your work performance? Are you being criticized regularly even though your work performance is the same as before? In addition, it is important to differentiate whether the incidents are part of normal exercise of management’s right to manage the company, a workplace conflict, or a single or isolated incident of inappropriate remarks.

Here are some examples of harassment:

• Being intimidating

• Criticizing, insulting, blaming, or personal humiliation

• Excluding or ostracizing an individual

• Spreading rumours

• Offensive jokes

• Physical attacks, yelling, screaming

• Removing areas of responsibility for no real reason

• Giving excessive workloads, setting the person to fail to meet the demands

• Giving too little work or giving jobs far below the person’s capability

• Intimidating by monitoring one’s jobs

• Showing threatening behaviours

• Destroying personal belongings in order to intimidate

• Sexual harassment, especially abusing power as an employer

• Making sexually suggestive remarks

Psychological Effects of Harassment

The psychological effects of harassment can be profound and long-lasting. Mental harassment, in particular, can lead to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Over time, victims may internalize the negative behaviors they experience, resulting in feelings of worthlessness and guilt. These psychological impacts often extend beyond the workplace, affecting personal relationships and social interactions. Victims may become socially isolated, avoiding both work and social environments to escape further harassment or anxiety triggers.

Are you struggling with the trauma of bullying and harassment? Do you want to be healed, re-empowered, and develop resiliency? I am here to help you. Please contact me.
 

Resources

Website of Government of Canada (Harassment and violence)

https://www.canada.ca/en/government/publicservice/wellness-inclusion-di…

Cromie, W. J. (2007). Verbal beatings hurt as much as sexual abuse: Can lead to depression, anxiety, and worse. Retrieved from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2007/04/verbal-beatings-hurt-as-…

Adams, A., & Bray, F. (1992). Holding out against workplace harassment and bullying. Personnel Management

Djurkovic, N., McCormack, D., & Casimir, G. (2004). The physical and psychological effects of workplace bullying and their relationship to intention to leave: A test of the psychosomatic and disability hypotheses. International Journal of Organization Theory and Behaviour