Sunday, May 1st, 2011

Bullies. You can find them at the bus stop, in the classroom, or on the playground. But at the office? Experts say bullies at work are a serious problem that may be getting worse.

Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me. It's a classic childhood saying experts say doesn't actually hold much truth. Not to victims of bullies on the playground, and not where you may find bullying a little less likely. But experts say bullies at the office, are just as real, and just as damaging.

Brenda Hensley-Hughes knows, even a place for adults, can be a place for bullies.

She says the woman supervising her in her last job was a bully. First it was rude comments, then belittling Brenda in front of coworkers, even pushing and shoving.

“I was getting physically ill before I went in to work. I would stop at a convenience store and I would be in there for a good 10 minutes getting sick,” said Hensley-Hughes.

Eventually it was too much, so she quit her job a year and a half ago, but the experience is still impacting her search for new work.

Bullying is more common than you may think. The Workplace Bullying Institute reports 26% of people have been bullied at work, 9% are victim to bullying now, and 15% have witnessed it, and researchers say these figures are low, as much goes unreported.

For Brenda, it began to impact her health, causing self-esteem issues, weight loss, even symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. They're common signs of bullying according to experts.

They say more and more people are spending time on social media, like Facebook and Twitter, and that's making the problem worse. As people can bully through posts online, without the ramifications of face-to-face contact, and without the constraints of office hours.

Brenda is among people pushing for a law specifically outlawing workplace bullying. Right now state statutes only protect against harassment at work.

Studies show about 70% of workplace bullies are bullying someone who is their subordinate, which is another reason much of it goes unreported. Experts say their best advice is to find someone to tell.