QUICK TIPS: 7 Steps to Deal with Workplace Bullying

🔎 Episode Summary:

Being bullied at work—whether by a peer or supervisor—can be isolating, frustrating, and deeply stressful. In this episode, Dr. Jeremy Pollack shares 7 practical, research-backed steps to help you recognize, respond to, and recover from workplace bullying. You’ll hear real-world examples, learn how to protect your mental health, and gain tools to take back your power—while staying professional and calm.

Whether you’re currently being bullied or supporting someone who is, this episode offers clear guidance for navigating a toxic workplace dynamic.

🛠️ Key Steps Covered:

1. Recognize the Behavior
    → Identify patterns of disrespect, exclusion, or psychological harm.
   
   
2. Document Everything
    → Keep a detailed, dated log of incidents and impact.
   
   
3. Set Boundaries When Safe
    → Use calm, assertive language to disrupt harmful patterns.
   
   
4. Report Internally
    → Present your documentation to HR or leadership with a solutions-oriented mindset.
   
   
5. Take Care of Your Mental Health
    → Prioritize your emotional well-being and access support when needed.
   
   
6. Explore Your Options
    → If the culture won’t change, consider your long-term path elsewhere.
   
   
7. Know Your Legal Rights
    → Learn when bullying crosses into illegal harassment and what resources are available.

📌 Resources & Links:

• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): https://www.eeoc.gov
  
  
• Workplace mental health resources: https://www.workplacementalhealth.org
  
  

💬 Notable Quote:

"Bullying is never your fault—but addressing it is your right. One small step can lead to real change."

✅ Stay Connected with Dr. Jeremy Pollack:

• Website: pollackpeacebuilding.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeremypollack
  
  

Host: Dr. Jeremy Pollack from Pollack Peacebuilding Systems

More from Dr. Pollack:

• Peaceful Leaders Academy
• Conflict Resolution Playbook: Practical Communication Skills for Preventing, Managing, and Resolving Conflict
• FREE e-book: The Ultimate 12-Step Guide to Coworker Mediation: Free Ebook - Pollack Peacebuilding Systems

Connect with Dr. Pollack on social media: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn

Transcript

0:03

Welcome to Peace Building with Dr. Pollock. This is a quick Tips episode where I explore the strategies, psychology and interpersonal tools that help you build better relationships at work and beyond. I'm Dr. Jeremy Pollock. I'm a social organizational psychologist with a specialty in peace and conflict psychology. I'm also the CEO of Pollock Peace Building Systems, a workplace conflict management, consulting and training firm. Today's topic hits close to home for many professionals. Unfortunately, we're talking about workplace bullying. According to the workplace, bullying Institute's 2024 report, at least 30% of US workers have directly experienced bullying behavior at work. If you've ever felt targeted, disrespected, or humiliated at work, whether by a peer or a supervisor, you know how exhausting and disempowering it can be, but you're not stuck, you can take action. In this episode, I'll guide you through seven clear steps to protect your mental health. Document the behavior, and regain your sense of power. Let's get started. So step one, in dealing with workplace bullying behavior is recognize and define the behavior. Not all bullying looks the same. It might be overt, like yelling or insults, or it could be subtle like. Exclusion or sabotage or dismissive comments. The key is to notice patterns of behavior that make you feel intimidated, devalued, or afraid to speak up. A lot of people experience what we might think of as bullying behavior and they just sort of brush it off, you know, thinking maybe they're too sensitive and they allow this behavior to go on for too long. But on the other hand, you also wanna stay self-aware of hypervigilance or oversensitivity. So if you're unsure about whether you're being bullied or if you're just being sensitive, I would discuss it with a trusted friend or colleague, explain the situation, explain some of the behavior, and get an outside perspective. The bottom line is when it comes to recognizing behavior, if you're consistently on edge around a particular person, start paying attention to that. Trust your internal radar. So if you are experiencing bullying, the next step would be to start documenting everything. Create a written log of bullying Incidents include the date, the time, what happened, who was present, how it affected you emotionally and professionally. This record will become crucial if you need to report the behavior later, whether it's to human resources or to some sort of legal support. Even if you've never escalate this log affirms your reality and hopefully strengthens your confidence that you are actually experiencing this sort of behavior. Step three, set boundaries When possible, if you feel safe, you can address the behavior directly. Sometimes a clear respectful boundary can stop the behavior before it escalates. Let's say for example, a coworker makes repeated sarcastic remarks about your work, and one day you calmly say to them. I'd appreciate it if you gave me direct feedback instead of making jokes about my reports. This simple direct statement sets a clear boundary without hopefully creating a conflict. Now this sort of line in the sand is boundary that you're drawing. It's not necessarily going to resolve the issue completely, but it often disrupts the dynamic and lets the individual know that the behavior is being noticed and that it's inappropriate. Step four. Report through the right channels. If the behavior doesn't stop or if it's severe from the outset and you don't even want to address it or, set a boundary, then it is time to report it to your HR department or to a trusted manager. Present your documentation and stick to the facts. Make it not just about your feelings, uh, about what you sort of experienced. That's important, but don't just make it about that. Also, make it about the impact on your work and on workplace culture. You might say something like, over the past two months, I've experienced repeated verbal criticism from my supervisor in front of the whole team. I've documented the dates and comments. It's affecting my ability to focus and perform. Your goal is not just to be heard, but to activate accountability. And the more you can relay this to business outcomes and performance and to the general culture of the workplace, you may have a better shot at getting them to actually, uh, move the needle on this and hold the individual accountable. Step five, take care of your mental health. Bullying can erode your emotional and physical wellbeing over time. It's very, very stressful and chronic stress, anxiety, burnout, depression, all of these can be common effects. Don't ignore the toll that it takes on you. Speak with a therapist. Engage in regular self-care. Prioritize your nervous system however you can. And if your company offers an employee assistance program or EAP, take advantage of it. I just want to reiterate here, your mental health shouldn't be thought of as a luxury. It's an absolute necessity, so take care of yourself. Number six is explore your options if your workplace refuses to address the problem, or worse it retaliates if you report it or something like that. It's time to think long term. Can you move to a different team or department? Can you explore roles in healthier organizations? Are there industries or environments where your values will be more supported or people are held accountable more effectively? You know, sometimes walking away, unfortunately is the strongest move that you can make and certainly the healthiest. And finally, step seven, know your legal rights. In some cases, bullying can cross the line into unlawful harassment, especially if it's tied to race or gender, or age, religion, disability, other protective categories like that. If this seems to be the case or if you suspect this is the case, I would. Recommend you visit the US Equal Employment Opportunity commission@eoc.gov or consult an employment attorney to learn what legal protections you may have. At the end of the day, knowledge is power and just knowing what support you can get or what protections you have might provide leverage if internal efforts to address abusive conduct fall short of actually having an effect. All right, so let's recap the seven steps here. First is recognize the bullying behavior. Next, you want to document everything very clearly. Third, set boundaries verbally if you feel it's safe to do so. Number four, report everything through the proper channels. Number five, take care of your mental health. Number six, explore new options when needed. And number seven, know your legal rights. Bullying is never your fault, but addressing it is your right. So start with one small action this week, even if it's just documenting something or reaching out to a friend to get support. Every step is a step toward empowerment. Thanks for tuning into Peace Building with Dr. Pollock. If this episode helps you or you feel like it could help someone that you know who's struggling with workplace bullying, please share it and subscribe for more insights on managing conflict, building trust, and creating peaceful workplaces. Until next time, stay strong, stay kind, and keep peace building.