Bullying in the work is common around the world. Statistics reveal that 1 out of 6 employees report being bullied at work. It is very unfortunate that many employees face this problem. Bullying behaviour comes in the form of words and actions that are intended to intimidate individuals who become targets in the work place. It is an emotional assault which involves disrespectful and harmful behaviour along with aggression.

The person who indulges in such aggressive behaviour can be your immediate manager or your colleague who may dislike you for many reasons or it is the way they choose to communicate to get things done. Of course, it is an unpleasant feeling when you are bullied and the situation becomes worse if the right action is not taken at the appropriate time. It will be very difficult if it is your manager who is bulling you but a smart way of handling the situation can help you overcome this.

I interviewed a few individuals at a work place and I have summarized their thoughts below:

Women were of the opinion that they were bullied by their own gender and in cases where men had women as managers; they were bullied by their managers. Fresher male employees mentioned that their male seniors bullied them.
Some welcomed the bullying and also stated that it was an enjoyable experience, but only to a certain extent, beyond this, past a certain limit they felt hurt and distressed.

You cannot name one organization where there is a bully free environment but steps can be taken to minimize it. Let's look at how we can avoid bullying in the work place.

• First step that you can do is to sit with the person who is bullying you and communicate to them how it affects you. Many do not realize the impact of their behaviour and upon realization, may stop or change their behaviour.
• Discuss with a mentor who has dealt with this situation and seek his/her advice.
• Avoid losing your temper, stay calm and cool. You must not show your weakness as this is something they are after. This is the time to show your assertiveness and say strongly to "STOP".
• You know yourself better than anyone else. Look after yourself by ensuring that you do not provide opportunities for the person to intimidate you or make you uncomfortable.
• Keep your seniors aware about your progress in your work, as bullies in the workplace often spread negative thoughts about you and your work. Your constant updates to your seniors will help you defeat the bullies' word of mouth.
• Keep a diary of events and incidents that demonstrate exactly how you are experiencing bullying.
• The bullies try to isolate you from your co-workers, so maintain good working relationships as this could support you under difficult situations.
• Once you think that the situation is beyond your control, you must report to HR immediately.

Creating a respectful workplace is important to build a good and  successful working environment. If you are a victim of bullying in the work place, take the first step today, there is a saying, "if you don't stand up for something, you will fall for anything". Let us make the workplace bully free!