Professional Bullying in the Workplace

Judith C. Zata,RPm

According to RA 10627, bullying is an act repeatedly done by any individual that causes harm to others whether through written, verbal, physical or any combination that brought harm. This is commonly done at school before however at present this is also happening in the workplace today. Bullying is happening in the workplace when a person is being singled out in the by one person or group of people that brought unreasonable, embarrassing or intimidating treatment. Companies at some point are unaware that when bullying happens in the workplace this might brought serious negative impact on individuals and on companies as well.

Most common form of bullying happening in the workplace is practical jokes. Many Filipinos are fun of saying things that we are unaware of. We thought that it’s just for fun but to the person who is making fun of is already affected emotionally especially when that person becomes the “rambutan of the eye” (rambutan instead of apple because of the negative impact to the person, unlike apple it connotes positivity).

According to statistics, about twenty percent experienced harassment in the workplace mostly to female staff. Admittedly most bullies in the workplace are men. Men who are professionals and educated are unaware that they are causing not just emotional, physical disturbances to workmates but also brought negative impact psychologically. When this is continuously acted upon any individual this would greatly affects his/her performance at work and to his/her health.

When a person bullies her/his workmate this could somehow “acceptable” (though it is supposed not to be done) but it’s another thing when someone in a position uses his/her power to intimidate his/her subordinates that is not really unacceptable. That’s what we called professional bullying. Because you are in the position you can do whatever you are pleased to someone that is lower in rank to you like adding up additional work load, assigning him/her to a job which is you knew he/she is having difficulty with or keep on rejecting his/her work and you are never please to whatever accomplishment or to her/his performance or worst hampering from any promotion or benefits that he/she is entitle. Bullying happens also when subordinate is a threat to his/her superior.

Sometimes, circumstances stated above are never mends. Changes happen only when someone in the position leaves his/her post. That’s the only time that ends up the bullying pattern to subordinates.

This is a plea; stop professional bullying in the workplace. How? It begins to us. Never intimidate someone, whether intentional or unintentional because we don’t know how one perceived our words or our actions. We should be a part of the journey of a person in his/her success instead. We should spread positivity in our workplace, where harmony and stress free workplace is in us where we can say that our workplace is our second home.

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