Bullying
Workplace bullying ranges from isolating to verbally threatening fellow workers. Bullies can cause anxiety, depression, fear and post-traumatic disorder symptoms in their victims.
A person who threatens a coworker with physical harm is considered a typical bully. However, the supervisor who regularly demeans an employee or threatens to fire him also is a bully.
Bullies sometimes ignore their victims to make them feel nonexistent. Bullies also use other tactics to humiliate their victims, such as gossiping and spreading lies about them or sabotaging their work.
Discrimination
Discriminatory behavior treats workers unfairly on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age or genetic information. Discrimination is prohibited by federal and state laws. Unfair actions include harassment, retaliation, denying employment opportunities and making decisions that adversely affect people in these categories. Antidiscrimination laws cover all areas of employment, ranging from hiring and firing, to pay, disability leave, training and layoffs.
The effects of discrimination can be emotional, physical and social. Depression, a loss of self-confidence, anxiety and feelings of helplessness are emotional effects. High blood pressure, headaches, ulcers, weight loss and sleeplessness are physical effects. Socially, discrimination leads to lower productivity, poor performance, withdrawal from fellow workers and occasionally violence.
Harassment
Harassment consists of actions or comments that a worker finds offensive. The worker doesn’t have to be the harasser’s target; he can be a third party who hears or witnesses the behavior. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, harassment becomes unlawful when it’s so severe that it creates a hostile workplace for an employee or the employee has to put up with the misconduct to keep her job.
Bullying, discrimination and violence often are categorized as workplace harassment. Therefore, harassment victims suffer the same emotional, physical and social effects as the other forms of workplace abuse.
