WORKPLACE HARASSMENT: SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, TYPES, CONSEQUENCES - JOB - 2024

The mobbing, workplace harassment or workplace harassment is a set of actions that are characterized by physical or verbal aggression continued against a person by an individual or group within the working environment. The victim suffers unjustified psychological violence, which occurs through hostile and negative ways of acting and which can lead to very serious consequences.

Mobbing can occur between peers (known as "horizontal harassment"), by people outside the work environment, by subordinates ("vertical upward harassment") or by superiors. This last type is known in English as bossing. Regardless of who the perpetrator is, the physical or mental violence has to occur continuously for it to be considered that workplace harassment is occurring.

Each mobbing situation is different, and therefore there may be numerous causes that cause this phenomenon to appear. In some cases, the reason has to do with the bullies' need to feel superior, or with the fact that they feel intimidated by the victim. In others, the reason is the wish on the part of the aggressors that the affected person leave their job.

It is considered that between 10 and 15% of active workers suffer from workplace harassment. The consequences of this phenomenon can be very serious, starting from problems such as stress to much more serious ones such as depression, anxiety or even suicide.

Symptoms of workplace harassment

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In order to prevent workplace bullying or eliminate it if it is already occurring, the first thing that is necessary is to be able to identify it when it occurs. Next we will see some of the most common symptoms of mobbing.

Appearance of verbal aggressions

Most of the time, the first indication that mobbing may be taking place is the appearance of behaviors of verbal aggression towards the affected person. Typically, bullies use high or intimidating tones of voice to speak to their victims, usually with the aim of intimidating them.

On the other hand, in more serious cases, the person who is experiencing mobbing may also be the subject of insults, sarcasm, or comments designed to undermine their self-esteem. On some occasions, sexist acts designed to make the person feel uncomfortable may also occur.

Inattention to the victim

One of the most difficult symptoms of mobbing to detect on many occasions is the lack of attention towards the affected person. Victims of workplace bullying may find that their suggestions, projects, initiatives and ideas are ignored by their colleagues and their bosses. On the other hand, their requests for help or feedback are often not answered.

The problem is that when this symptom appears, the person may not be sure if he is imagining it or if it is a real situation. Most of the time bullies will have compelling excuses to explain why they haven't paid as much attention as they should to the requests of the bullied.

Exclusion

Another of the most common symptoms that occur among victims of mobbing is social exclusion. In a situation of workplace harassment, those affected often say they feel displaced from the social circle that is generated within the company. This problem can take many different forms.

For example, on many occasions, bullies exclude the victim by leaving them out of group emails, avoiding inviting them to important work meetings, or simply refusing to interact with them both inside and outside the work environment. This can be done in more or less open ways: while sometimes bullies will make all kinds of excuses, other times they will do so explicitly.

Creation of rumors about the victim

Different investigations on mobbing have shown that the creation of malicious rumors about the victims is one of the most common practices within workplace bullying. Many times, these rumors are completely fictitious, but even so they cause damage by undermining the self-esteem of those who suffer them.

On the most dangerous occasions, however, rumors can be based on actual personal information about the victim. In general, the information disseminated has nothing to do with the work environment of the harassed or with their skills in it, but rather personal data that is intended to embarrass them by being disclosed.

Physical aggression

In very extreme cases, mobbing can escalate little by little until it ends up leading to a full-blown conflict, in which physical attacks occur. Fortunately, this situation is not usually reached, since most stalkers know that they may suffer legal consequences if they act in this way.

However, on occasions in which hatred towards the victim is very marked, or the person has reason to think that they will not suffer any type of negative consequence, more or less serious physical attacks may occur.

Causes

There is no single cause that can explain all cases of mobbing. Each situation will occur for different reasons. However, in general, workplace bullying has a series of characteristics that allow it to be distinguished from other related phenomena.

In this section we will look at some of the most common reasons bullies give for harassing their victims in a work environment.

Professional jealousy

According to the researchers, one of the most common reasons for the appearance of mobbing is envy towards the victim. When this happens, the cause is that the harassed is very competent in his work, and the aggressors consider that he is more productive, skilled or attractive than they.

On occasions where this is the main cause, the harasser may try to recruit his colleagues to try to diminish the effectiveness of the victim in their work, or to get the victim fired or leave their position of their own free will.

Maintenance of the

When an employee routinely exceeds what is expected of him, and works more than is necessary, his colleagues may worry that the boss will realize this and start demanding that they increase their own productivity to reach their same level.

Sometimes, to prevent this possibility, the worker's colleagues may join forces to make life impossible. In this way, your intention is to either reduce your productivity or end up leaving your job.

Get rid of difficult workers

Although the two previous reasons were related to envy or the desire to eliminate powerful competitors, the truth is that in many cases mobbing is due to the opposite. When a worker creates a lot of problems, avoids doing his job or creates an unpleasant environment in the company, it is possible that his colleagues decide to make life impossible for him.

Some research indicates that the workers who are most likely to be harassed are those who cannot be fired for some reason, but still create difficulties for their colleagues or bosses. This normally occurs in large companies or in public entities, although it can also happen in a small business.

Kill "snitches"

Sometimes a worker may decide to inform the authorities or his superiors of the bad practices carried out by his colleagues. When this happens, the person usually does it in secret; But if others discover you, it is very common for situations of workplace harassment to occur.

In these cases, the main motive is usually revenge; Although those more rational stalkers may decide to make life miserable for the "snitch" to prevent him from leaking uncomfortable information about them again.

Personal reasons

Some people, for various reasons, have a personality that makes them more prone to bullying others. Sometimes mobbing is simply due to the presence of one of these individuals, who may decide to attack their companions simply for pleasure.

When this happens, it is very common for other people from the same work environment who have similar traits to join in the harassment.

Types

Basically, there are three types of workplace harassment:

Descending workplace harassment

It is the most frequent type of mobbing. It occurs when one or more bosses harass a lower hierarchical worker.

This type of harassment can have a strategic purpose (it is intended that the harassed resign to avoid having to pay the compensation corresponding to a dismissal); It can be used as a management tool (all staff are harassed for fear of losing control) or it can be perverse harassment, that is, with no other purpose than to make the other person feel bad.

Ascending workplace harassment

It happens when a worker with a certain hierarchical level is harassed by one or more of his subordinates.

It usually happens when bullies don't accept the person who is serving as their boss, especially if they are new to the job. The phenomenon can also appear as a reaction to an authoritarian, arrogant, capricious or incapable of making impartial decisions.

This is the least frequent type of harassment, representing between 2.5% and 9% of all cases of mobbing.

Horizontal workplace harassment

It occurs when a worker is harassed by one or more of his co-workers, who are at the same hierarchical level.

The causes that cause this type of harassment can be varied: personal enmities, attacking the person who is weaker or who is different (discrimination based on their gender, religion, sexual orientation, ideologies, etc.) or simply using this person as scapegoat for everything bad that happens.

It is also very possible that the feelings of envy towards the victim are the ones that give rise to the harassment, with the aim of humiliating or minimizing it, for fear of losing one's job or that the qualities of the harassed may overshadow those of the harasser, who in fact may have a feeling of inferiority or personal dissatisfaction.

Consequences

Mobbing is a very serious problem, and it can generate all kinds of negative effects on the victim, the workers who observe it and the company itself. Next we will see what are the main consequences for each of them.

Effects on victims

As is to be expected, the people who suffer directly from mobbing are those in whom the negative consequences are most severe. Victims often suffer from both physical and psychological problems, which can range from simple headaches to depression, low self-esteem, anxiety or even suicide attempts.

At the work level, the affected person usually begins to perform less in their work. This, in addition to worsening the victim's self-esteem, can lead to her being fired; and your chances of finding a new job become even lower.

Effects on peers

When mobbing takes place for a long period of time and those in charge of the company do nothing to stop it, the rest of the colleagues can also begin to suffer some negative consequences. All of them are related to the environment that is created in the work environment, which will get worse as the days go by without a solution.

The main problem that colleagues can suffer is fear. Some of them may start to worry that they will end up becoming the next victims, which will cause anxiety and prevent them from performing at their best at their jobs. Those most affected or those with the most options could even leave their position and look for a new job elsewhere.

Effects on the company

Companies in which mobbing occurs on a regular basis also suffer long-term negative consequences. As we've already seen, some of your best employees may end up moving to another company, so the quality of work tends to drop significantly.

On the other hand, in very extreme occasions, the company may have to face a lawsuit by the worker who has suffered the harassment, since it is part of the company's civil responsibility to ensure that its employees are safe in their environment of work. All of this can have a very negative impact on your reputation.

What to do if you are suffering from workplace harassment?

It is necessary to file a complaint for workplace harassment if continuous and deliberate abuse is observed, which causes physical and psychological damage. For this we have indicated data of interest in the following section.

Before going to the public administrations or the courts, the victim of harassment can try to discuss the problem with other people and seek a solution. For example:

- Communicate it to the Company Committee, union, workers association or human resources area. If the company has one of these organizations, you can inform them so they can take the necessary measures. These organizations generally have a procedure for the prevention and treatment of workplace bullying.

If not, they can also provide support and advice to face the situation and make the corresponding decisions.

- Go to the governing bodies of the company. When the harassment does not come from company managers but from middle managers or other co-workers, it may be useful to discuss the situation with the governing bodies.

These bodies must have procedures to prevent occupational hazards and act when they arise. If there is a relationship of trust, you can go to them, since the company has an obligation to combat harassment.

- Go to public institutions. When the above measures are insufficient or are not applicable to your case, the next step will be to go to the public authorities to seek protection.

A complaint for workplace harassment can be filed with public administrations so that they take the pertinent measures, and if it is the case, impose sanctions. You can also go to court if you consider that the harassment is so serious that it may constitute a crime.

The judicial route will also be necessary if you want to break the employment relationship. As if you prefer to request compensation for the moral damages that the workplace harassment has caused.

Before filing the complaint for workplace harassment

Keep calm

It is very important that the victim of workplace bullying tries to remain calm and not react with violence. You must not indulge in provocations that give your harasser more power or cause her to commit an act for which she may be fired.

Don't keep it a secret

Harassment should not be kept secret. The victim should try to make it explicit so that everyone can see it. It is then advisable to talk to the harasser in front of other people, seek allies and psychological support.

Tests

It is essential that the victim obtain all possible evidence of the harassment before filing the complaint for workplace harassment. You must take this point very seriously and be very rigorous in gathering evidence. The success of the complaint and the achievement of the protection of rights depend on this.

Others

- The situation must be communicated to co-workers, unions or other organizations. The goal of this is to get witnesses to the harassment.

- Save all documentary evidence of harassment, such as emails, work orders, circulars, notes, etc.

- Conversations (in person or by phone) that are strictly work-related and in which the worker participates can be recorded. In these cases, it must be taken into account that the right to privacy of the person participating in the recording cannot be violated, so one must be very cautious.

This is the case in most countries, although in some this type of test may be prohibited by law.

- Photographs or videos of the events can be taken. For example, from the workplace if there was a change in which the worker's conditions are denigrated, or other circumstances that may be relevant.

Report to public administrations

Generally, the Ministries have competent bodies to initiate a procedure against the company in which the workplace harassment occurs. These procedures seek that the company take the necessary measures to end the harassment and protect the worker. In addition, they can impose sanctions on the employer that allows harassment by action or omission.

The situation in some countries is described below. However, these complaints are normally made through the labor inspectorates of the Ministries of Employment or Labor:

Mexico

According to the Federal Labor Law, the employer is prohibited from “carrying out acts of harassment and / or sexual harassment against any person in the workplace”. This is considered a cause for termination (termination) of the employment contract without liability for the worker.

CONAPRED.

Spain

There is a public body in charge of channeling complaints of workplace harassment and it is the Labor Inspectorate. This entity can take pertinent measures to prevent, stop and impose sanctions in the event of workplace harassment.

Web of interest:

AECAL. Spanish association against workplace harassment.

Chile

The art. 2 of the Labor Code, modified by Law No. 20.607, describes the behaviors that can give rise to workplace harassment. The affected person can file a complaint with the Labor Inspectorate, so that sanctions are applied to the employer for carrying out or allowing the harassment.

Web of interest:

Work address.

Peru

The Labor Productivity and Competitiveness Law indicates that the following are acts of hostility comparable to dismissal: "Acts against morals and all those that affect the dignity of the worker."

The victim of workplace harassment may contact the Ministry of Labor to report the situation.

Web of interest:

Work without harassment.

Colombia

The purpose of Law 1010 of 2006 on workplace harassment is to prevent and punish the various forms of aggression or mistreatment that may result in labor relations. The victim of workplace harassment must go to the Labor and Social Security Inspection of the Ministry of Labor to report it.

The public authority will initiate a procedure to determine if the workplace harassment occurred. You can impose fines between 2 and 10 minimum wages for the person who does it, and for the employer who tolerates it.

Web of interest:

Ministry of labor.

References

1. What is mobbing? The office disease ”in: Psychological Harassment. Retrieved on: October 14, 2019 from Psychological Harassment: psychologicalharassment.com.
2. "What is mobbing at the workplace?" in: Chron. Retrieved on: October 14, 2019 from Chron: smallbusiness.chron.com.
3. "Mobbing" in: Cuídate Plus. Retrieved: October 14, 2019 from Cuídate Plus: Cuídateplus.marca.com.
4. "The 6 types of mobbing or workplace harassment" in: Psychology and Mind. Retrieved on: October 14, 2019 from Psychology and Mind: psicologiaymente.com.
5. "Workplace harassment" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: October 14, 2019 from Wikipedia: es.wikipedia.org.