How to Handle Workplace Bullying: Legal Options and Solutions

Bullying in the workplace is a serious issue. It can impact an individual’s emotional health and physical health and can even result in someone being fired. Since bullying in the workplace can have such harmful effects, it is very important to understand how to deal with it legally and more personally in a way that ensures a work environment that is healthy for both the individual and the whole.

There are many signs of bullying, some more obvious than others. With the help of our expert consultant, Troy Kessler from Kessler Matura, we’ve prepared this informational guide on ways to identify and deal with workplace bullying in both a legal and personal way.

Recognizing Workplace Bullying

Bullying in the workplace is not a monolithic experience. It encompasses a range of forms, including:

• Verbal abuse
• Physical intimidation
• Exclusion
• False gossip
• Work sabotage

The instigators can be found at all levels of the organization, including:

• Coworkers
• Supervisors
• Subordinates

The one inarguable commonality among these forms and their instigators is their effect on the target. They create a hostile work environment that negatively affects the target’s well-being and, far too often, their career.

Documenting the Bullying

Should you find yourself the target of relentless bullying at your place of work, the first step, and by far the most important one (according to Troy Kessler from Kessler Matura) is to document the incidents thoroughly.

Keep a detailed record of the dates, times, locations, and descriptions of each incident, along with any witnesses who can and will bolster your claims.

Internal Solutions: Reporting the Behavior

Nearly all organizations have policies against bullying that provide clear and direct processes for reporting inappropriate behavior. If you are able and willing, try confronting the individual who is bullying you and tell them to stop.

If the situation is such that you cannot or do not want to engage directly with the bully, go to HR or to your supervisor and report the behavior. It is quite common for employers to have processes in place to handle such complaints.

Seeking Legal Options

If internal reporting does not resolve the issue or if the bullying persists despite earnest attempts to make it stop, there are legal avenues to be explored. In many jurisdictions, what is commonly referred to as workplace bullying can be classified as a form of harassment, which is illegal under employment law.

People can be harassed for a number of reasons, but the most common bases for harassment claims involve factors such as these:

• Race
• Gender
• Religion
• Disability

Troy Kessler from Kessler Matura Can Answer Any Questions You Might Have About Workplace Bullying

It takes many threads to solve the complex problem of workplace bullying, including documentation, internal reporting, legal options, and external support, to weave a coherent and effective solution. When employees face bullying, they can rely on the fact that they have many options to protect their rights.

They also can take comfort in knowing that many federal and state laws ensure their right to work in a safe environment. No employee should ever have to suffer the indignities that come with being bullied.