Bullying at work? here's a smart way to deal with it

Bullying or bullying can happen to anyone, anywhere. Not only teenagers at school, bullying at work often occurs. It's just that bullying in the workplace is not that easy to spot. Sometimes, bullying is so veiled that even you who are the victim don't even notice.

However, if the bullying is already annoying, don't rush out of the business. Before choosing the final solution, first consider the following how smart people deal with bullies at work.

Don't underestimate the impact of bullying at work

According to The Workplace Institute, bullying is behavior that disturbs and even hurts health that is carried out continuously in the form of violence. This violence can take many forms. Whether it's verbal (words), behavior that attacks or corner, threatens, humiliates, intimidates, and sabotages a job. While the health referred to here can include physical health as well as mental health of a person.

There is a misconception about bullying. Usually, people think that bullying means behavior that is done by a superior to a subordinate. Indeed, a boss has a greater chance of bullying. However, that doesn't mean people who aren't your boss can't bully. Competition or an unhealthy work environment can trigger other people who are one rank or even below you to target you for bullying.

Unlike bullying at school, bullying at work is done by adults. Adults certainly have better emotional control and reasoning abilities than adolescents. So, bullying behavior in the office is usually done deliberately and calculating.

The direct impact of bullying varies from person to person. However, generally you as an employee will feel a loss of confidence, sometimes feel sick, even depression and lose motivation at work.

Zogby International also found that 45% of people who were subjected to bullying in the workplace had various health problems. Health problems that arise include heart disease, a weakened immune system, symptoms of anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Companies can also be badly affected by bullying. Team members become uncomfortable, stressed, unfocused, and don't even have a good work commitment. They may be absent frequently. This of course has an effect on company performance.

Signs that you are being bullied at work

Many people don't realize that they are being bullied at work. In fact, you can observe the following signs and symptoms.

• Given so many tasks and jobs, but for no clear reason.
• Get continuous criticism for no apparent reason.
• Often shouted at.
• Often used as material for jokes, not infrequently it hurts the heart.
• Often ignored and often not invited to various activities, such as eating together.
• You have unpleasant gossip that is spreading around the office about you.
• Blocked from getting a promotion, bonus, or other valuable opportunity.

It seems that I was being bullied at work. So, what should I do?

Professor of Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Indonesia, Dr. Endang Parahyanti, M.Psi explained in Bisnis Indonesia that to fight bullying in the office, you need to develop a firm attitude and don't feel reluctant to reject something that disturbs our psychological condition. Rejection is also carried out in an appropriate manner, namely by stating what is felt.

Still according to Dr. Endang, you as a victim of bullying must increase your self-confidence and not keep harboring feelings of helplessness. This will certainly make your overall work performance worse. We recommend doing the following steps.

• If there is only one person bullying you at work, try to get your problems straight with them face-to-face first. Let the person know that it is unacceptable to treat you. You can practice first to compose words and facial expressions with the closest people, such as your partner or best friend.
• Remember, don't return the bully's treatment with the same cruel treatment! Instead of changing things for the better, this wrong method will actually make things worse. Calm yourself down when the bully misbehaves.
• Instead of replying, you better gather all the evidence of bullying he did. For example, if the perpetrator sends a message with a threatening tone. Also look for eye witnesses who are willing to confirm the events that you experienced.
• If this doesn't work, talk to someone who has authority at work, such as someone supervisor, managers, or staff from the Human Resource Department (HRD) are ideal parties to talk to and find solutions in accordance with the rules within the company. Don't forget to bring credible evidence. So, talking here is not only reporting what you experienced, but also getting the right advice or input.
• In fact, according to the Fair Work Commission Australia, you can talk to existing unions or in serious cases, provide a formal report. Of course this is the last step if you have done the steps above.
• If you feel that bullying is affecting your mental or physical health, you can consult a doctor.