Vermont Healthy Workplace Advocates


Workplace Bullying Defined


Workplace Bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators that takes one or more of the following forms:

  • verbal abuse

  • threatening, humiliating or offensive behavior/actions

  • work interference -- sabotage -- which prevents work from getting done.

    Workplace Bullying: (a) is driven by perpetrators' need to control the targeted individual(s) , (b) is initiated by bullies who choose targets, timing, place and methods, (c) escalates to involve others who side with the bully, either voluntarily through coercion, and it (d) undermines legitimate business interests when bullies' personal agendas take precedence over work itself.

    Definition from the Workplace Bullying Institute.

    In the Healthy Workplace Bill, bullying is very precisely defined and called an "abusive work environment."


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