Defining Workplace Bullying 

Workplace bullying is a combination of unwanted behavior that is repeated and that has serious emotional, physical, and career consequences. The behavior may be directed at an individual employee or group of employees.

 Such unwanted behaviors usually include:

 Unwanted verbal behavior that is offensive, humiliating and viewed as unacceptable to the recipient

 Repeated and offensive behavior that is vindictive, cruel or malicious and attempts to humiliate disrespect or undermine an individual or groups of employees

 Behavior that includes, but is not limited to psychological pressure, harassment, intimidation, threats, conspiracies, manipulation, extortion, coercion and hostile behavior

Repeated incidents in which a person is abused, threatened, or assaulted in circumstances related to their work

Ongoing interference with production that keeps one from getting work done, creating unreasonable work time lines, assigning tasks outside expertise, withholding key information necessary to perform tasks

 NOTE: There are other more precise definitions of workplace bullying in laws, policies and research but this general overview captures the essence of the issue and its impact.