Workplace Bullying: How Security Professionals Can Help
Bullies poison their work environment with low morale, fear, anger, gossip and depression. The employer pays for this in lost efficiency, absenteeism, high staff turnover, severance packages and lawsuits.
Workplace bullying is not a topic often explored by enterprise security professionals. However, this will likely change in the coming years, given the scope and the immensity of the problem.
How do we define workplace bullying? The Workplace Bullying Institute defines it as repeated, health harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators. It is abusive conduct that is threatening, humiliating or intimidating; constitutes work interference or sabotage; and can be physical or verbal.