Someone laughs while a manager tears into an employee during a team meeting. Afterwards, the explanation is that the manager is “just demanding”. Everybody knows not to be next.
It is tempting to call all unpleasant management bullying. It is just as tempting, particularly in competitive workplaces, to dismiss genuinely harmful behaviour as people being too sensitive. Neither helps the person trying to decide what to do on Monday morning.
The starting point is the behaviour itself. Acas's guidance on bullying at work gives examples that include persistent criticism, malicious rumours, people being put down in meetings, heavier workloads being allocated deliberately and exclusion from team activities. Intent does not have to be proven before you can take a concern seriously.
12 examples of bullying at work
1. Being humiliated in front of colleagues
Your manager calls you useless during a review, then says everybody needs to toughen up. Honest, specific feedback about a mistake is different from personal humiliation. Look at the words used, the circumstances and the effect.
2. Repeated personal insults disguised as jokes
“Don't be so precious, it's banter.” You hear it every week, always aimed at the same person. The fact that somebody laughs does not necessarily mean the remark is welcome.
3. Threats about your job used to control you
“I'd be careful if you want to stay here” is said whenever you question an instruction. Ordinary discussions about performance are legitimate. Threats intended to intimidate are a different matter.
4. Deliberately excluding you from work you need to do
You're held responsible for a delivery but repeatedly excluded from the discussions and information needed to complete it. A single missed invitation may be an error. A pattern of deliberate exclusion deserves closer attention.
5. Spreading malicious rumours about you
A colleague tells people you're about to be dismissed, or invents a personal story to damage your standing. Keep a record of what you know first-hand rather than repeating the rumour to every possible witness.
6. Targeted, disproportionate workloads
Everybody is busy, but one person is deliberately handed impossible work and then ridiculed for not completing it. Note the instructions, deadlines, available resources and the comparisons you can reliably establish.
7. Constantly undermining your competence
Every contribution is dismissed as foolish. Your work is criticised without examples. The language is personal rather than connected to the standard required.
8. Abusive messages or calls
Intimidation is still intimidation when it arrives through Teams, Slack, email or a late-night phone call. Keep the relevant communications available through approved means.
9. Sabotaging your work and then blaming you
Important information is withheld, dates are changed without telling you, and the failure is presented as yours. This can be hard to establish, so focus on document versions, instructions and who had access to what.
10. Isolating someone socially to punish them
A team deliberately excludes one colleague from relevant group activities as a way to humiliate or pressure them. Not being invited to a private friendship group is not automatically bullying. The purpose, pattern and effect matter.
11. Mocking a protected characteristic
Unwanted remarks about race, sex, disability, religion or other protected characteristics can raise discrimination or harassment issues. Do not treat these as ordinary personality clashes.
12. Punishing someone for speaking up
An employee raises a concern and suddenly finds reasonable opportunities withdrawn or is subjected to hostility. The facts and context matter, including whether a protected complaint was involved. Seek advice promptly if you suspect retaliation.
What is not necessarily bullying?
Being asked to correct an error, having a deadline enforced or being told your work does not meet an agreed standard is not automatically bullying. Managers have to manage performance. Colleagues also have the right to disagree.
The question is how it is done. Is the criticism specific and proportionate? Is there a genuine opportunity to improve? Are expectations applied fairly? Or are you being insulted, threatened, deliberately undermined or repeatedly singled out?
Bullying can happen once or repeatedly, according to Acas. You do not need to count incidents before a serious event deserves attention.
How to keep a record without turning it into a second job
Write down the date and time, what happened, the words you can remember, where it occurred, whether anyone witnessed it, and how it affected you or your work. Include relevant emails or messages where you are permitted to retain them.
“29 October, 10.15am, weekly team meeting. During my update, the manager said, ‘You're clearly not capable of doing this job.’ Six colleagues were present. I asked which part of the work was wrong but was not given an example.”
This illustrates a record, not proof of wrongdoing. Stick to what you personally observed.
You can also note what you did afterwards and any effect on your health or work. Keep sensitive material secure and comply with confidentiality obligations. Acas recommends keeping a record including dates, evidence and witnesses where there are any.
What to do if you think you are being bullied
Choose a safe first step
You may feel able to say, “Please don't speak to me like that,” or to raise the behaviour privately. You do not have to confront someone directly if you feel unsafe, the conduct is serious or the person has significant power over you.
Check the workplace policy
Look for a bullying and harassment policy, grievance procedure, named contacts or a confidential reporting route. If the person involved is your manager, another manager or HR may be appropriate.
Talk to someone who can support you
Depending on the circumstances, that could be a union representative, another manager, an employee assistance service or a qualified adviser. If your wellbeing is being affected, speak with a healthcare professional.
Consider a formal grievance
For serious concerns, or where an informal approach has not worked, a formal grievance may be appropriate. Acas explains the options for raising a problem. You do not have to treat every serious complaint as a misunderstanding to be sorted out over a coffee.
Is workplace bullying illegal in the UK?
There is no standalone legal definition of bullying under UK employment law. That does not make it acceptable or necessarily lawful. Depending on the facts, bullying may involve unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation or other employment law issues. Acas explains the distinction.
Legal rights and time limits can depend on the type of claim. If you are considering formal action or leaving your job because of the behaviour, get qualified advice rather than relying on an article or an online checklist.
What if you manage a team and receive a complaint?
Don't immediately tell the employee to “sort it out between yourselves”. Listen, record the concern, explain the available procedures and avoid making assumptions about either person. Treat confidentiality seriously, and follow the organisation's policy. A fair investigation matters for everybody involved.
This is not a verdict you should deliver after hearing one side of a story. It is a concern that deserves an appropriate response.
You do not need the perfect label before asking for help
Maybe you're not sure the behaviour meets the definition of bullying. Maybe you're frightened of making things worse. You can still seek confidential advice about what happened and what your options are. Start with the facts and your safety, not with a clever line you wish you'd said in the room.