How to identify mobbing or workplace harassment

It is not obvious for a victim of workplace bullying to be aware of being so. Recognizing, accepting and assuming one's own situation usually takes some time, mainly for two reasons.

The first is the scant information available on the problem. In Spain and Europe, workplace bullying is relatively unknown in all its dimensions and implications compared to, for example, other similar forms of violence such as sexual harassment.

The second is your course. At first, bullying can go unnoticed since aggressive behaviors usually start out sporadic and of low intensity and gradually increase. When the worker realizes that the situation is unsustainable, it is already difficult to stop him.

That is why it is important to know how to recognize it in its initial stages.. To do this, it is best to understand, on the one hand, its course and the strategies carried out by the aggressor, and, on the other, identify its consequences.

• Related article: "The 11 types of violence (and the different kinds of aggression)"

How to identify workplace bullying in the company

We are going to focus on the aggressive behaviors carried out by the harasser in each phase.

First phase

The start of bullying can be preceded by a conflict or, conversely, start for no apparent reason. In this second case, the aggressor will cautiously "rehearse" the aggressive behaviors. A reprimand in public, some derogatory comments, hints, a joke in public, sow a rumor, etc.

He acts in a subtle way, always looking for an excuse in case of being exposed (“It was all a joke!”, “I am like that”, etc.). If the aggressor perceives that the behavior has gone unpunished or that some of the colleagues have laughed at him, the joke will go gradually increasing the frequency or intensity of the bullying while trying new methods to cause harm additional.

Also It is possible that this phase originates from a conflict in a particular situation. A conflict that the organization does not resolve and that the aggressor will use as a recurring excuse to justify its behavior.

If the aggressor is a superior, there will also be frequent complaints about work, the imposition of impossible tasks (so that the worker cannot fulfill them and thus have a perfect excuse to continue with the criticism) or, on the contrary, of tasks that are not in accordance with the training of the worker: ask him to prepare a coffee, to make photocopies, etc

These micro-aggressions will slowly, day by day, undermine the morale of the victim. In fact, in France mobbing is called "moral harassment" because it has precisely that objective; demoralize the victim.

• You may be interested in: "Mobbing: psychological harassment at work"

Second stage

In a second phase, the aggressor will display a repertoire of behaviors heterogeneous depending on their evil, power, their abilities, the implicit or explicit support of the witnesses and the tolerance they perceive in the organization itself.

Obviously there are plenty of aggressive behaviors. Some of them would be threatening, insulting, criticizing, discrediting, harassing, ignoring, harassing, defaming, ridiculing, making the task difficult, silencing, etc. Studies suggest that this wide range of destructive behaviors responds to four types of strategies:

1. The intimidation

This would include behaviors such as verbal threats, looks of contempt, shouting, gossiping in her presence, provoke emotional reactions in the victim, etc.

2. The isolation of the victim

Prevent the victim from talking to colleagues, not letting her express herself or interrupting her when she speaks, leaving her without a phone or computer, placing him in a secondary or marginal place, not passing him important calls, hiding relevant information, etc

3. Labor discredit and personal discredit

Spread rumors, minimize your efforts and achievements, hide your skills and competencies, comment on his mistakes in public, criticize him (remember that previously he will have been charged with unrealizable jobs or will have been "set up" for him to fail, etc). In addition to professional discredit, the victim will be tried to discredit personally.

Personality traits that explain his abnormal behavior will be sought (when the possible abnormal behavior has a lot to do with the situation he is going through). This strategy is important because it will eventually lead to the expulsion of the worker under the pretext that he was not efficient or that he had a disorder.

4. impede career advancement

Do not provide feedback or give bad reviews. Do not assign him interesting projects or, conversely, assign him tasks that are not commensurate with his experience or training, not propose him for promotions, hinder his development, etc.

One of the main characteristics of this type of violence is its continuity over time. The worker can endure this mistreatment for years. Obviously, this prolongation in time has destructive consequences for the mental and physical health of the worker. At some point, either the worker or the company tries to tackle the situation, which leads us to the resolution phase.

Third phase

In this phase, the worker and the company try to find a solution to the problem. Sometimes companies try to mediate between aggressor and victim either through the personnel department, unions or through professional mediation services. Mediation in this type of problem is not usually an adequate resource from the point of view of the victim.

On the one hand, because when the company uses these services, the mediator himself tends to be conditioned to adopt a solution, which is usually a drastic solution (remember that the company wants to get rid of the problem as soon as before). The situation of strong psychosocial deterioration of the worker may end up convincing the mediator that the best option would be the departure of the worker himself.

Another alternative is to open an "internal investigation" that, in the best of cases, can end in the worker being changed from job, although it usually happens that this worker already carries with him that "stigma" that can stop him from fitting into the new location.

It is common for the worker to voluntarily request this job change although that desire is rarely satisfied. In private companies there is the aggravating circumstance that a worker with several years of experience does not want to leave and give up compensation. This leads him to go through an ordeal that worsens the consequences on his health.

In this phase, casualties due to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress symptoms and other types of extra-work social problems are generated (breakups with the partner, distance from friends, etc.) that put the worker in a situation of extreme vulnerability and that, normally, end with his dismissal.

concluding

If as a worker you recognize yourself in any of these or in the type of strategies and maneuvers that we have described, it is likely that you are suffering from mobbing. Then, It is best to ask for professional advice and help. to try to get out of the situation. Trying it yourself can be a daunting task with little chance of success. The necessary help must be both psychological and legal.