No employer wants bullying to disrupt the workplace. In some cases, it can even lead to discrimination and other illegal actions. More and more, companies are taking this type of harassment seriously.
Even so, bullying continues. It may not be as overt as it was in grade school, but it’s clear that people don’t outgrow this behavior. Below are the top 12 reasons why bullying won’t end, according to a study carried out by the Workplace Bullying Institute:
- 21 percent: Bullies do not get any sort of punishment from the employer. This allows them to thrive in the workplace.
- 15 percent: The workplace isn’t governed by proper laws to put an end to the activity.
- 13 percent: People in the company simply don’t have the desire and drive to stop the bullying. They know it happens, but it’s too big of an issue and no one takes it on.
- 13 percent: Coworkers just ignore the behavior, standing idly by when it targets another member of the workforce.
- 10 percent: Cutthroat activities actually get rewarded due to the workplace culture. When the bully gets a promotion, it sends a message.
- 10 percent: Some workers have social issues and psychological problems. This group may be small, but they have an impact.
- 6 percent: Those doing the bullying are also those in charge. They are owners and executives with the company.
- 5 percent: The bullying isn’t confined to the workplace. It’s part of society and just works its way in.
- 3 percent: Executives and others up the corporate ladder pass down orders that promote bullying.
- 3 percent: The company actually lacks a person or department set up to stop bullying.
- 1 percent: People are naturally aggressive. Even when companies try to put an end to bullying, they can’t change human nature.
- 0.7 percent: Those who are being bullied actually did something to invite it or promote it. This is incredibly rare.
It is clear that the biggest issue, by far, is just that people don’t do anything. Either the company doesn’t stop it, coworkers don’t stop it, or people do not take proper legal action. This allows bullying to continue even when most people don’t engage in it and are actually against it. They don’t stand up to the far smaller group that continues to push others around in the workplace.
This is why it’s so important for workers to know their legal rights, especially when those who are doing the bullying are executives and people in positions of power. Workers are protected in the United States. They don’t have to stand for this type of behavior. They need to know exactly how to push back and put an end to it.