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Workplace Intimidation by definition is: “To frighten someone into doing or not doing something, by means of violence or blackmail”. To: “Create a feeling of fear, awe, or inadequacy in another person”.

Is this sounding all too familiar?

More than 25% of employed workers have felt intimidated at work, this fact is according to a new CareerBuilder survey. So, who do you think is the one that does the most intimidating? That’s right, it’s the boss.

But you aren’t taking someone’s lunch money or physically shoving your workers around like you have heard about in the school yards, so no one could actually say that you are being a bully, right?

Don’t jump to that conclusion too fast. When I review the list of the most common offenses, I was shocked by the way that so many don’t really fit into the definition I have of workplace intimidation.

For instance, by far the biggest offense was simply not acknowledging a workers comments. This isn’t the type of thing I would consider an intimidating behavior. It is rude and it is not very good managing, but is it truly workplace intimidation?

Here are some questions that will help you discover if you are a target of intimidation at work. By reading over these questions, you will be able to define and identify these intimidating behaviors even if they are very subtle.

Being insulted every so often really isn’t a part of this type of bullying. But, when this workplace intimidation occurs consistently, day after day, month after month without end, then you have a serial offender.

Here are some of those questions that will help you identify workplace intimidation:

• Are you continually glared at with hostility?

• Are you being ignored when you request assistance?

• Are you constantly being yelled at or put down at work?

• Are you always the subject of practical jokes and nasty pranks?

• Are you constantly being lied to?

• Are you the target of false rumors or gossiping?

• Are you being given huge workloads that are impossible to complete?

• Does someone continuously interrupt you while you are trying to speak?

• Have attempts been made to turn coworkers against you?

• Is someone else taking credit for your work or the ideas that you have?

• Are you always being reprimanded in front of your fellow workers?

If these questions above resonate with your own circumstances at work then it is very likely that you are being intimidated by a workplace bully. These types of intimidation’s that go on and on with no sign of letting up will be very detrimental to your happiness and good health.

As you know, this website is all about workplace intimidation, what it is and what you can do to stop it before it get’s out of hand and causes so much stress that your health is adversely affected. The very last thing you should do is to put up with these cruel behaviors.

Take the time to look over all the information given here about what to look for when you suspect that you might be the target of intimidation at your work or if you feel you are the perpetrator of some of this activity and are looking for a way to make a change but aren’t sure how to.

Tags: workplace intimidation