Picture this: Bruce submits a complaint against his coworker Amanda because she frequently takes personal phone calls at her desk. Amanda resents Bruce for "tattling" and to get back at him, starts a rumor in the office that Bruce thinks their other coworker, Tom, should be fired. This gets Tom in on the action, as well as Amanda and Tom's office friends. Soon, a whole group of bullies has formed, targeting Bruce for simply following the rules.
This is just one example of workplace mobbing. Organizations need to know the signs of mobbing in the workplace so they can prevent this unique type of harassment before it seeps into their workplace culture.
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What is Workplace Mobbing and Why Does It Happen?
Workplace mobbing looks the same as bullying, but instead of a single harasser, the victim is targeted by a group. One or two bullies encourage their coworkers to gang up on the victim.
As with other bullying scenarios, a victim might be targeted because they're a racial, religious or gender minority in their workplace or have a disability. However, the mobbing ringleader often has a career-related reason for targeting their victim.
According to the WBI survey, 79.3 million American workers are affected by workplace bullying. Though it can happen in any industry, academia seems to be especially rife with mobbing. In her article “Academic mobbing, or how to become campus tormentors,” Professor Caroline Patsias from Université du Québec à Montréal explains that academics might start a “campaign of negative communication [that] ends up poisoning the entire workplace or faculty.” Then, “all members of the group are exposed, and the well-known psycho-sociological phenomenon of peer pressure empowers the instigators to recruit a large majority. These recruits either become active mobbers, if they apply these tactics aggressively, or they become passive mobbers.” Victims often suffer psychological distress, leading them to leave the institution or even, for 12 percent of mobbed professors, die by suicide.
Real-Life Examples of Mobbing at Work
1. Jealousy: Mike was hoping to be promoted to manager, but instead, his company hired externally to fill the position. He's jealous of his new manager, Betsy, so he convinces the rest of the team to undermine her to try to drive her out of the company.
2. Maintain the status quo: Jim was recently hired to his company and has a lot of ideas on how to improve it. Sue fears change and wants to do things the way they’ve always been done, so she rallies her coworkers together to exclude Jim from meetings where he could share his ideas.
3. Resentment: Troy is always late to work, takes a lot of sick days and consistently underperforms. Brad, who works in the same position for the same salary, hates having to pull Troy's weight on his team. Brad and his coworkers start leaving nasty anonymous notes on Troy's desk, making him miserable enough at work to leave.
4. Retaliation: Cassie recently submitted a harassment complaint against her coworker Steven. He didn't think his behavior was wrong, so in retaliation, Steven and his buddies spread rumors about Cassie's love life, driving her out of the company.
RELATED: Investigating Workplace Bullying Allegations: 10 Tips for Success
Common Workplace Mobbing Behaviors to Watch For
Workplace bullying can be psychological or physical, and mobbing is no different. The behavior depends on what the leader of the mob wants to achieve and what the victim reacts to.
For instance, if the victim is being mobbed because of their race/gender/sexuality/religion/age/etc., the bullies might use verbal or physical aggression against them.
If the mob aims to undermine the victim, they might gossip and spread rumors, exclude the victim from meetings and correspondence, or ignore their ideas and suggestions.
The mob might also exclude the victim socially, leaving them out of post-work drinks, lunch outings or even casual office conversations.
"Often [mobbing] is subtle and possibly unintentional, involving social ostracism and exclusion," according to the Workplace Mental Health Promotion guide created by the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario. "In fact, each individual incident may seem inconsequential but over a period of time, mobbing erodes the self-confidence and self-esteem of the mobbed employee."
RELATED: How to Investigate Workplace Bullying When You Can't Even Define It
Negative Effects of Workplace Mobbing on Employees and Organizations
Mobbing at work isn't just bad news for the victim. It creates a toxic work environment for all employees.
Obviously the worst effects of mobbing are on the victim. After weeks or months of continued bullying, their self-esteem will suffer. They might experience depression or anxiety and could even manifest physical symptoms (e.g. trouble sleeping, compromised immune system, stomach aches) as a result. The mob's gossip and slander might ruin the victim's professional reputation, too.
When employees who aren't involved witness mobbing, they might live in fear of it happening to them. They'll be distracted, causing their productivity to decline.
Finally, mobbing negatively affects the organization as a whole. Employees won't want to stick around a workplace that lets bullying slide, so you could lose some great workers. Mobbing can also cost you major money. If the victim was targeted due to their protected status, they could sue you for making them work in a discriminatory and hostile work environment.
Proven Strategies to Prevent Workplace Mobbing
To reduce these behaviors, focus on prevention. You'll save time and money and protect employees' well-being, plus you'll show your commitment to a safe work environment.
First, ensure managers lead by example. Do they encourage an excessively competitive spirit on their teams? Do they pick on their employees? If the bosses are bullies, lower-level employees might think that's acceptable behavior.
Managers should also evaluate their employees regularly (ideally every six months). Is the person fitting in socially? Are they meeting performance standards and goals? If not, they should work with that employee to help them improve. Being proactive could save the employee from being mobbed later on.
Be sure to include mobbing behavior in your anti-harassment policy. Define it and use clear examples so employees understand the types of behavior that won't be tolerated in your organization.
Finally, use strong case management software to handle internal complaints. Choose a system with trend analysis to show you which employees or office locations are hot spots for harassment so you can focus your preventive efforts there.
How are you handling workplace harassment? Read how case management software can help you manage, investigate and prevent incidents in our free eBook.
FAQs
1. What is mobbing in the workplace, and why does it happen?
Mobbing is a form of workplace bullying where a victim is targeted by a group rather than a single harasser, often resulting in a hostile work environment and decreased productivity. It often occurs due to jealousy, discrimination, or fear of competition, leading to behaviors like exclusion, spreading rumors, or undermining the victim’s contributions and confidence.
2. How do you recognize workplace mobbing?
Recognizing workplace mobbing involves identifying situations where one or two individuals encourage a group to target a victim, often due to career-related reasons or characteristics such as race, gender, religion, or disability.
3. How do you stop bullying at work?
Stopping bullying in the workplace requires several proactive measures, including ensuring managers are modeling ethical behavior, clearly defining and addressing different types of harassment (including bullying and mobbing) in the anti-harassment policy, and implementing robust case management software to handle internal complaints effectively.
4. How does workplace mobbing differ from bullying?
Mobbing vs. bullying lies in the number of perpetrators. While bullying involves one individual targeting another, workplace mobbing is collective harassment where a group engages in coordinated behavior to isolate, demean, or undermine a colleague.
5. What are some mobbing or group behavior examples in the workplace?
Examples of mobbing behavior include spreading false rumors about a colleague, excluding them from meetings, sabotaging their work, or ganging up on someone during discussions to undermine their ideas. These actions erode trust and create a toxic environment.
6. How can you recognize mobbing behavior at work?
Recognizing mobbing behavior involves looking for signs like coordinated exclusion, persistent criticism, or gossip targeting a specific employee. These behaviors often escalate over time, creating a toxic atmosphere and severely affecting the victim’s well-being.
7. What are examples of targeting in the workplace through gang bullying?
Targeting in the workplace through gang bullying might include anonymous notes, coordinated efforts to discredit a coworker, or isolating them socially. These behaviors aim to make the victim feel unwelcome and often force them to leave the organization.
Take action against workplace mobbing today! Explore how case management software can help you identify, prevent, and address mobbing behavior effectively. Contact us for a demo!