10 Signs You’re Being Bullied At Work + What To Do About It

It seems that the bullying we might have witnessed (or experienced firsthand) on the school playground is being increasingly played out in the workplace. According to a national survey conducted in 2014 by the Workforce Bullying Institute, 27% of the respondents have current or past direct experience with abusive conduct at work.

Here are ten clear signs that you’re being bullied:

Others in your work group are receiving preferential treatment (e.g. flextime, “cherry” projects, travel perks and so on). Meanwhile, you find that most all of your requests along the same lines are denied without plausible explanation.

Say you’ve been given a directive with certain objectives, an ultimate goal and a timeline. You work hard and with focus only to find out, suddenly, that there’s a change in direction on the project. Your progress is not celebrated or applied to the new project, but not even taken into account.

In essence, you're constantly bombarded by excessive micromanaging. You don't feel like your intuition or choices are being trusted, and you can't explain why. Your boss and others hover over you much more than usual telling you what to do (and what not to do). You get the sense that you're wrongly perceived as unreliable, and your decision-making capability is greatly reduced as a result.

All of the sudden, you’re excluded from meetings you once attended. Reasons may be given, but are not warranted or easy to tether to concrete events or behaviors. Co-workers tend to avoid you and keep interaction to a minimum. You also may find that you’re no longer invited to after hour informal events.

You’re subject to negative, abusive language — sworn and shouted at on a fairly consistent basis. That said, verbal abuse can be more subtle than overtly aggressive insults and reprimands. You may find that you're being joked around with in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable, and that too can be a kind of verbal bullying.

Oftentimes, when you make a comment, suggestion or disagree with a point of view, you’re responded to with a pile of responses by others. It doesn’t matter whether you’re right or not — the gang mentality is determined to prove you wrong.

Mentally, you’re drained and your energy is zapped. You’re sleeping more and find it hard to get out of bed. Bullying can lead to depression, anxiety, panic attacks and mood swings. There are also physical symptoms such as increased blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, sleeping troubles and loss of appetite (or excessive eating). In extreme cases, the effects of bullying can also lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Your excellent work is not acknowledged by your boss and/or they give the credit to others in a public setting such as a meeting or an off-site.

It seems that in the eyes of your boss, you can’t do anything right. Feedback is always provided in the form of criticism and delivered in a way to make you feel bad about yourself. There’s no effort to provide guidance, mentoring or encouragement.

Roadblocks are thrown in front of you to throw you off course and prevent you from successful completion of a project or initiative.

Once you’ve come to the realization that you’re a victim of bullying it’s important to know what kind of recourse you have. Here are three possible actions:

In the meantime, be sure to seek outside professional help to deal with the physical and mental fallout from prolonged bullying. Reducing stress and keeping a clear mind will help you think through your options and ultimately make the best possible decision.