Workplace bullying is a serious and insidious problem that is not only harmful to the targeted workers but also destructive for the team and the company as a whole. Bullying may be inflicted by practically anyone—co-workers, a group of co-workers and superiors, and can take many different forms, from obscure manipulating to open aggression. Witnesses who have encountered it also admit that they were put in challenging and distressing circumstances. Bullying (and harassment) has proved to be difficult to deal with and eradicate. Our resources can help make all workers aware of, gain mental control over, and prepare to cope with workplace bullying.

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BULLYING- FACT AND FIGURES

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The prevalence across countries is very considerable and persistent.

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• “Psychosocial factors such as bullying are now being generally acknowledged as global issues, affecting all countries, professions, and workers. The poll, run in 2011, surveyed workers worldwide (…)  64% answered that they had been bullied, either physically hurt, driven to tears, or had their work performance affected.”

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• “Almost 75% of employees surveyed had been affected by workplace bullying, whether as a target or a witness.” Dr. Judy Fisher-Blando, 2008

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• U.K. “Nearly a third of people (29%) have been bullied at work, says the TUC, 2015. The 2011 survey of over 6,000 UNISON members found that 6 in 10 workers had been bullied or witnessed bullying in the last six months.”

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• Canada. “According to the Workplace Bullying Institute, almost 40 percent of workers report having been bullied (2018). Forty-five percent of Canadian workers report being bullied on the job, according to a 2014 nationwide survey.“

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• U.S. ”The WBI 2017 survey of 1,008 U.S. adults reported that 19% of Americans were bullied in the workplace while another 19% witnessed it. According to a Zogby poll in 2014, 27 percent of the 1,000 U.S. workers surveyed had been the target of bullying; an additional 21 percent had witnessed an incident or incidents of bullying in the workplace.”

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     EFFECTS AND COSTS

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Workplace bullying costs workers, companies and the whole of society a lot of misery and money.

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• bullying causes stress, anxiety, PTSD and can have long-term effects on victims’ physical and mental health.

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• economically, bullying is estimated to cost the economy billions in developed countries each year.

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• it creates a poor working environment, can endanger a safe and healthy.

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• It causes a drop in productivity and quality of services and products.

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• It creates an unpleasant and hostile atmosphere at work, lowers job satisfaction, increases absenteeism.

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• It hampers professional development, is a cause of marginalization and of lost opportunities for individuals and the wider society.

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• It leads to higher rates of staff turnover, staff shortages and far less revenue per employee.

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• co-workers witnessing bullying are pushed in a distressing and threatening situation and they also may become less productive, more often absent or prone to leave.

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• workplace bullying tarnishes a company’s reputation and brand image because of the employees’ complaints and lawsuits.​

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The list of serious issues is really extensive, but let us consider Little Stories About Work as another way of communication that employs the power of visual art.