Share your experiences

Reflecting on our experiences

According to a 2023 Harris Poll, 71 percent of U.S workers have had a toxic supervisor at some point during their careers, and nearly 1 in 3 are currently working with a toxic manager. The same poll shows that toxic bosses are rewarded, not reprimanded, showcasing the institutional complicity of disregarding the abuse and perpetuating a poor safety climate. There is an obvious lack of commitment to occupational safety and psychological abuse at work.

Losses

Targets of on-the-job psychological abuse:

Suffer from damage to their psychological and physical health

They experience anxiety, guilt, shame, confusion, fear, paranoia, lack of self-worth, and grief, along with depression and many other problems stemming from abuse. Constant stress can cause trauma and PTSD and lead to a host of health problems, from cardiovascular disease to immunological issues and substance abuse.

Lose or endure strains to their personal relationships

Bullies isolate targets from their co-workers, turning them against the targeted employee or instilling fear of being bullied if they maintain ties with the target. Chronic stress caused by unabated violence and its resulting mental injury harm relationships with family and friends.

Frequently lose their jobs, careers, and means of livelihood and face serious financial consequences

The odds of having to voluntarily or involuntarily leave a job are far greater for targeted employees. Researchers have found that over the long-term, targets are at a significantly higher risk of being expelled, not only from the workplace but from working life itself. Targets and their families are thrown into a financial crisis. They typically lose health insurance when they need more care than ever.

In the worst case scenario, employers drive targets to suicide when they direct the violence experienced at work to themselves and lose hope for a way out. In recent years, workplace suicides have increased dramatically, rising 39 percent between 2000 and 2019 according to the Guardian, and toxic work cultures may play a significant role in the rise.

Others who lose:

Family and friends lose a beloved spouse, parent, sibling, child, or friend to physical, emotional, mental, and behavioral problems, and in some cases, death, whether because of poor health or suicide. Family members particularly bear the brunt of pent-up rage, shame, hostility, and hopelessness or suffer from neglect when the target withdraws.
Witnesses to workplace bullying experience the same health difficulties as targets. Their problems are less intense, but one-quarter of witnesses experience moderate to severe stress, according to a Brandeis University report.
Employers face negative impact, too – diminished morale, lower productivity, damage to reputation or brand, increased sick time, employee turnover, and higher legal costs. American corporations alone are said to lose billions of dollars annually because of workplace abuse.

Share Your Losses

Do these losses resonate with you? Share it anonymously on our memorial wall.

Share Your Story

In one page, tell us the following:

Field/industry you were in and what you did for work
How the bullying began, the tactics used, and how it escalated
How your employer handled or did not handle the situation
If discrimination and bias were a factor in the bullying. Include information about your identity or identities – age, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, class, education, etc.
Impact the bullying had on you and your loved ones and on your organization
Any action you are taking to fight workplace bullying
Importance of legislation to you personally
Advice for others dealing with workplace bullying

Email it to us at info@endworkplaceabuse.com.

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Sources:
https://www.brandeis.edu/faculty-senate/ongoing-work/dignity-at-work/pdfs/dignity-at-work-task-torce-final-report-with-proposals-april22-2019.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/27/us-workplace-suicide-rates-pandemic
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4380603/
https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/releases/2022/Q1/workplace-bullying-takes-an-emotional,-physical-toll-support-is-in-place-to-help.html
https://transportation.wv.gov/highways/training/TrainingDocuments/Bullying%20In%20The%20Workplace%20Training%20Manual%20With%20Quiz%20Sheet.pdf
https://workplacebullying.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2021-Full-Report.pdfhttps://workplacebullying.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2021-Full-Report.pdf