Examples of general behaviour that may constitute bullying specific to the workplace are as follows:
· Purposely undermining someone
· Targeting individuals for special negative treatment
· Manipulation of an individual‘s reputation
· Social exclusion or isolation (sending to “Coventry”)
· Intimidation
· Verbal abuse or making fun of a person’s work or the person (including family, sex, sexuality, race or culture, education or economic background)
· Psychological harassment (playing mind games, ganging up)
· Aggressive or obscene language
· Offensive jokes, comments, banter, or insults
· Suggestive remarks, innuendos
· Unwanted comments about dress or physical appearance
· Unnecessary touching
· Intrusion by leering, whistling, suggestive gestures, pestering, spying and stalking
· Use of graffiti
· Display of pornographic or sexually suggestive pictures or an offensive object
· Physical abuse and assault or threats thereof
· Humiliating initiation or hazing
· Unreasonable or pointless assignments
· Repeated requests with impossible deadlines or tasks
· Deliberately changing a work roster to cause difficulties
· Deliberately holding back information needed to get work done properly
· Unwelcome continued suggestions for social activity outside the workplace
· Cyberbullying (bullying using information technology)
Read more about the different contexts of workplace bullying.