How to Deal with Workplace Mobbing

Workplace mobbing is very real and no laughing matter. It happens in many offices all around the world leaving the employee dealing with the mobbing feeling helpless and alone. Mobbing in workplace consists of psychological abuse from several members within the same office. This abuse comes in many forms such as intimidation, innuendo, harassment, degrading, humiliation and the spreading of rumors. This can occur on a constant basis in the hopes that you will get fed up enough to leave your position in the company. The truth is, workplace mobbing is never okay and you should hold your ground for as long as you can. There are several things that you can do to try and help remedy the situation and to protect yourself from further harassment.

First off, if the workplace mobbing is occurring with your co-workers and does not involve you manager or supervisor, make them aware of the situation. Be careful, however in small offices, even authority figures can be part of the harassment. Keeping a journal of all of the harassment episodes being mindful of who said or did what will give you a solid record of exactly what you are dealing with. When you have this list or journal in place, go directly to your human resources department with your complaints. If the threats and harassment are serious enough, it may warrant your transfer, or the termination of the harassing employees. 

It is important to say that you should be very careful when going to authorize figures or to human resources. Making a decision to do this may make people think that you are a “snitch” or a “tattle tale” and, if human resources do not think that the threats are valid enough, your harassers may be right back in your office space, continuing with the harassment. Many times, after you have made human resources or your managers aware of the workplace mobbing, your co-workers may be required to take an ethics class. On the other hand, however, the mobbing could become far worse, only it may be in a more secretive way, after work hours. If this happens, contact the proper authorities to file a restraining order.