Workplace Bullying Survey: 37% of American Workers are Targets

The Workplace Bullying Institute released one of the best, perhaps the best ever, national survey of workplace bullying over the Labor Day weekend.  This is a representative national sample of nearly 8000 adults. The interviews were conducted in mid-August.  Check out this detailed report about the study, which was conducted by Zogby, a polling firm.

A few findings were especially striking to me.  Here is the main question and the answers:

Question: At work, have you experienced or witnessed any or all of the following types of repeated mistreatment: sabotage by others that prevented work from getting done, verbal abuse, threatening conduct, intimidation, humiliation?

Responses
Yes, I am experiencing it now or have in the last year, (12.6) 13%
Yes, it has happened to me in my worklife, but not now or in the last year, (24.2) 24%
I've only witnessed it, (12.3) 12%
I've been the perpetrator myself, 0.4% (n=22)
Never had it happen to me and never witnessed it, (44.9) 45%

This research  confirms prior findings that bullying is common, but that it is not something that just about everyone always faces at work on a daily basis-- 13% of American's report facing current bullying.   I also suspect that the self-reports that less than 1/2% of Americans have been or are bullies are underestimates, as not many people are willing to admit "I am a workplace asshole."  But these findings do confirm that nasty and demeaning behavior is a huge problem in the American workplace.

Three other findings also strike me. First, men are more likely to be bullies than women: 60% of bullies are men, 40% women.  In contrast, 57% of the "targets" are women and 43% are men. Given that men, on average, still hold more powerful positions than women, this is not a surprise.  As I've discussed,  there is lots of evidence that power turns people into assholes.

Second, 40% of targets leave their job voluntarily, 23% are terminated, and 13% are transfered to another job in the same organization. But only 14% of bullies are terminated and another 9% are punished but not fired. So it seems, as we have seen on this blog and in The No Asshole Rule, that too many of these creeps are getting away with their dirty work.  And these findings also show (like prior research) that employers who are allowing bullies to do their dirty work aren't just hurting victims, these creeps are driving out good people. As this report shows in detail, and I show with a vivid case of just one asshole from one organization, the total cost of assholes can be staggering.  These researchers estimate that, if these findings can be generalized (and it is a representative sample) that bullies have driven over 20 million people out of their jobs.

Finally, this survey found that 72% of the bullies were bosses, people who were positions of authority over targets. When people ask me why The  No Asshole Rule focuses more attention on bosses, and less on people who abuse peers or superiors, I reply that it is because so much research shows that workplace assholes "kick down."  Of course, that is not to dismiss the damage done by people who "kick" peers and superiors -- it is also a huge problem.  But the lion's share of abuse does roll down the hierarchy.   

As I say in  the book, one of the best tests of a human being's "goodness" is how well he or she treats people with less power.  Unfortunately, this survey suggests that too many people are failing that test. 

Take a look around the Workplace Bullying Institute's web site, which has excellent resources.  You can also see this interview that was played on CNN this weekend, with the WBI's Dr. Gary Namie talking about this study and the problem of bullying -- and I am on briefly at the end.  Frankly, it is nice to have a plug for the book, and I suppose all the snippets of various opinions from lots of different people are nice.  But I would have rather seen CNN talk more about this study.  They barely touched on it even though it is one of the most important, and most rigorous, studies on this problem. 

Finally, I am more ambivalent than Dr. Namie about the need for anti-bullying legislation, as I worry it will just add more work for lawyers and not provide much real protection. Plus I worry that the only way to collect a lot of financial damages in court is to suffer a lot of physical, emotional, and financial damages-- so it may encourage people to stay who really ought to get out now.  But I agree with Namie 100% about the damage done by these demeaning creeps, and frankly, even if these laws (now introduced in 13 states) don't pass, the threat of litigation may inspire some firms and leaders to stop tolerating the assholes in their organizations. So it may cause some to do the right thing for the wrong reason.

I confess that, however, when I heard the argument by a business leader on the CNN story that modern workers are essentially too smart to take it from bullies and will leave, and that employers who allow bullies to suffer will be at a competitive disadvantage, so there is really no need for the laws, I started drifting a bit more toward being in favor of anti-bullying laws. I've never believed that "the market" will take care of everything -- it didn't work for gender and racial bias (or harassment), so why should it work for bullying?  I still worry about anytime when the lawyers rush in, that all sorts of bad things will happen.  Perhaps that is unfair to lawyers, but I keep hearing this argument from lawyers!

Laws aside, this poll adds compelling evidence that when organizations allow asshole poisoning to flourish and spread, their leaders not only have suspect human values, they are engaging in bad business practices.  Also, as an advocate of evidence-based management, it is nice to see such a careful study.

Comments

[Nancy]

Speaking as a bullied employee of the largest healthcare agency on the east coast of Wisconsin, it might be difficult for some to understand why a person would stay in a position where they are bullied and hurt and humiliated. While it is happening, the victim wonders what they did wrong, tries to 'fix' themself, and often works harder -- thinking that might stop what is happening to them -- when really it just exacerbates it! The person loses confidence in themselves, their skills and ability to do anything at all.

Instead of rallying around the bullied employee, fearful coworkers begin mobbing the bullied worker, leading to further degradation, humiliation, pain, lonliness and isolation.

There needs to be ACTION NOW! Either in some sort of mandatory education (EEO, ADA, whatever!). Though more legislation may be burdensome, it may be the only way to be able to bring this horrifying activity to a reversal or at least some sort of educated standstill!

I firmly believe a victim of bullying that does not have good family and medical support may potentially become a vigilante, taking matters into their own hands to gain some power and control, depressed/suicidal, or ill/missing work.

Explore the reason for workplace violence or suicidal workers (either successful or not) and I bet one would find a bullied and mobbed employee without support at the other end.

[Wally Bock]

Great organizations like the Marines or GE try to inculcate in their leaders that they have two jobs. One is to accomplish the mission. The other is to care for their people. If you're going for long term competitive advantage and profitability you need both. If all you're after is short term financial results, the "care for your people" part doesn't matter as much.

[Jan]

One reason why managers behave this way is because they think they can get away with it (and most of the time they do). One way to stifle it, is for upper management to appoint an "ombudsman", where co-workers can forward complaints in trust. The ombudsman should keep the source of the complaints confidential, when he/she reports to upper management. The ombudsman then works as a kind of safety valve for the environment.

[Bob Sutton]

Thanks for the two insightful comments. Brain, the company that conducted it was was Zogby at http://zogby.com/. I looked at the range of work that the do, and they do seem to be committed to objectivity. For example, they do work for both parties and seem to do work on different sides of different issues, and they do seem to not overstate things. Although there is always the concern that WBI was the sponsor of the of the survey, and they have some interest in raising concern about the issue. But that is an issue in all research, including by academics who are always resistant to data that clash with their pet theories.

Brian, good luck with your job search!

Bob

[Brian]

Been a silent reader of your blog for a few months. Just wanted to note that I took this poll. I felt that it was well done. The questions weren't misleading like most political polls nowadays. Unfortunately my company is infamous (locally) for bullying, and I had quite a bit to report.
I'm looking forward to looking at the full report.
And yes, I'm looking for a new job. :)

thanks
Brian

[40Hourstogo]

I believe it all comes to accountability. If employers are not going to be accountable for the destructive behavior of their employees then maybe regulations should be put in place. I would imagine that companies are more concerned with the bottom line than if their managers are assholes. However, I would argue their bottom line would be better off if their employees are excited to make the company profitable.

20mm employees out of jobs isn't a minor issue, this is something that needs to be addressed. The first time asshole harassment is addressed in court, I believe there will be a paradigm shift. I would hope this could be resolved without lawsuits, but chances are slim.