Workplace Bullying

Feeling bullied?

Here is how experts say you can fight back against workplace abuse:

• Take care of you. Check and protect your physical and mental health first. Seek medical help if necessary.

• Write it down. “Keep track of what was said or done and who was present,” Haefner says. “The more specifics you can provide, the stronger the case you can make for yourself when confronting the bully head on or reporting the bully to a company authority.”

• Do your homework. Research state and federal legal options.

• Talk to an attorney. Look for internal company policies (for example, zero tolerance of harassment or violence) that may have been violated.

• Compile numbers. Gather data about the economic impact that the bullying behavior has on the company, putting dollars and cents to each instance of turnover and replacement that bullying causes.

• Brace yourself. There may be retaliation ahead and you should be prepared for it.

• Update your résumé. You may have to find a new job. It can’t hurt to start searching.