Mobbing at work: how to recognize systematic harassment and protect your boundaries
When people at work are systematically humiliated, ignored, or create conditions in which a person feels superfluous, it is easy to blame it on the "difficult nature of colleagues" or ordinary work misunderstandings.
Mobbing is systematic psychological or economic pressure on an employee by management or colleagues, which is aimed at degrading his/her dignity or forcing him/her to resign.
Mobbing It can manifest itself openly – through insults and humiliation, or much more subtly: through isolation, spreading rumors, devaluing work, or constantly creating obstacles.
What does mobbing look like?
Mobbing doesn't always start with something obvious. Sometimes at first it's just isolated situations that are difficult to call harassment.
For example, colleagues:
- systematically exclude a person from work communication;
- intentionally withhold information that is important for the job;
- ignore her messages or requests;
- make fun of mistakes in front of others;
- spread gossip or question professional competence;
- regularly make derogatory or sarcastic comments;
- appropriate the results of her work;
- intentionally create situations in which she appears incompetent;
- They constantly criticize, but they don't provide clear criteria for what exactly needs to be changed.
Sometimes management gets involved: they set unrealistic demands, systematically humiliate the employee, or use their position to exert pressure.
Arguments, criticism, misunderstandings, or even serious conflicts can arise in a work team. The mere fact that someone has an argument with you or disagrees with you does not mean mobbing.
It is worth paying attention to systematicity and direction of behavior.
Conflict usually concerns a specific situation: two people have different positions and can discuss a problem.
Mobbing is a situation in which negative behavior is repeated, directed at a specific person, and gradually creates a hostile or humiliating atmosphere for them.
For example, telling an employee: "There are errors in this material, let's fix them" is work feedback.
Regularly saying in public: "What can I do with you, you never do anything properly" is a completely different form of interaction.
Why is mobbing difficult to notice?
One of the features of mobbing is that each individual episode may not seem serious enough.
They didn't add me to the work chat once - it was a mistake.
One sarcastic comment is a bad joke.
One criticism is the usual work situation.
That is why it is important to look not only at individual words or situations, but at repetitive behavior.
What is happening to the person?
Constantly being in a stressful atmosphere can affect your psychological state and professional confidence.
A person can start:
- constantly doubting your decisions;
- be afraid of making a mistake;
- over-checking one's work;
- avoid communicating with colleagues;
- feel anxious before the workday;
- thinking that “something is wrong with me”;
- lose confidence in their own professional skills.
The moment when a person begins to perceive the behavior of the team as proof of their own incompetence is especially dangerous.
Another person's systematic aggression is not proof of your professional incompetence.
What to do if you encounter mobbing?
First of all, don't be left alone with the situation.
Try to record specific incidents: date, place, participants, what exactly happened, what messages or documents confirm it.
It is important to keep work correspondence, assignments, changes in arrangements, and other materials that can help restore the sequence of events.
If it is safe, you can voice the problem directly:
"I notice that I am regularly not included in work discussions, although the information is relevant to my tasks. Please continue to include me in such communications."
Specific wording helps to speak not of the general "I am being harassed," but of facts that can be discussed and recorded.
If the situation does not change, you should contact your manager, HR, or another responsible person in the organization.
You have the right to a work environment where you are treated with respect, where you can ask questions, make mistakes, receive constructive feedback, and not fear systematic humiliation.
If you have been a victim of domestic violence or gender discrimination, please contact the National Hotline for Prevention of Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking and Gender Discrimination for advice and assistance:
📱116 123
☎ 0 800 500 335
This article was made possible by the support of the Norwegian people through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway (MFA of Norway) within the framework of the project “Building a Gender-Inclusive Recovery with the Women’s Movement of Ukraine” (GEN-Recovery). Responsibility for the content of the information lies with the NGO “La Strada-Ukraine”. The information presented in this article does not necessarily reflect the views of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway or the Government of Norway.
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