Workplace Bullying: Examples, Signs, and First Steps to Address It

Workplace bullying is a widespread and often overlooked issue that can cause serious harm to both individuals and organizations. Though it frequently goes unreported, recognizing and addressing these behaviors is essential to building a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace culture.

Below are some common examples of bullying in the workplace to help you identify the signs and take steps to respond appropriately.

Verbal Abuse —
One of the most obvious forms of workplace bullying is verbal abuse. This includes yelling, insults, name-calling, or using degrading language toward coworkers.

Example: A colleague repeatedly mocks another team member during meetings, belittling their ideas and questioning their competence in front of others.

Cyberbullying —
As digital communication becomes more integral to the workplace, bullying has also moved online. Cyberbullying may involve harassing emails, public shaming on social media, or spreading damaging rumors electronically.

Example: An employee creates a fake social media account to mock a coworker, or forwards private emails to a manager with the intent to damage that person’s reputation.

Exclusion —
Subtle but damaging, exclusion occurs when someone is intentionally left out of work-related activities, meetings, or social interactions.

Example: A team regularly organizes lunches or outings and consistently leaves out a particular employee. That same person may also be excluded from email threads or group projects.

Sabotage —
Sabotage involves intentionally interfering with a colleague’s work or reputation, often by withholding important information or spreading misinformation.

Example: Right before a major presentation, a coworker removes key slides from someone’s deck, causing them to appear unprepared or incompetent. In another case, a supervisor provides an unfairly negative evaluation that prevents a deserving employee from being promoted.

Micromanagement —
While oversight is part of any management role, excessive micromanagement can become a form of bullying when it’s used to control, criticize, or disempower.

Example: A manager constantly rewrites an employee’s work, dismisses their ideas, and provides no recognition for their contributions.

Intimidation —
Intimidation can be verbal or physical. This includes using aggressive body language, threatening gestures, or invading someone’s personal space to make them feel unsafe or undermined.

Example: A supervisor raises their voice and leans in aggressively during feedback sessions, making the employee feel anxious and threatened.

Retaliation —
Retaliation occurs when someone is mistreated after reporting bullying or unethical behavior. It discourages others from coming forward and enables toxic cultures to persist.

Example: After reporting a colleague’s behavior to HR, an employee is assigned unpleasant tasks, left out of team discussions, or subjected to even more hostile treatment.

Physical Violence —
In severe cases, bullying can escalate into physical confrontations or threats of harm.

Example: A coworker deliberately bumps into someone in the hallway or makes physical gestures meant to intimidate or provoke fear.

Spreading False Rumors —
Gossip and false accusations can severely damage a person’s professional standing. Even baseless claims can lead to long-term reputational harm.

Example: A rumor circulates accusing a colleague of leaking confidential information or being involved in inappropriate relationships—none of which are true.

Public Humiliation —
Embarrassing someone in front of others is a powerful tactic used to undermine confidence and authority. 

Example: A manager calls out a minor mistake in a team meeting, exaggerating the issue and questioning the employee’s capabilities in front of peers.

Taking Credit for Others’ Work —
Claiming ownership of another person’s contributions is a form of intellectual theft and a common bullying tactic.

Example: A coworker presents solutions developed by another team member as their own during a leadership meeting, repeatedly sidelining the real contributor.

Withholding Important Information —
Deliberately leaving someone out of the loop can sabotage their work and damage their credibility.

Example: A colleague fails to share critical project updates, causing another team member to miss deadlines or make costly mistakes.

Workplace bullying can take many shapes, but the outcome is often the same: emotional distress, reduced performance, and a toxic work environment. Recognizing these behaviors is the first step to stopping them.

If you’re facing bullying at work, begin by documenting the incidents. Clear, factual documentation gives you the foundation needed to speak with HR, legal advisors, or management.

You can download the Smart Documentation at Work Guide to help you record incidents in a way that protects your safety and integrity.