Private Sector

Bullying is rampant in the private sector when investor and stockholder expectations drive down staffing to produce ever-increasing profits. The mantra of profits before people affords hyper-aggressive, destructive individuals the opportunity to destroy other employees in the name of boosting the bottom line. Unfortunately, workers, regardless of gender, age, or rank, are vulnerable to the impact of psychological violence on their health. Injured workers are unproductive.

In the long-run, bullying is expensive and counterproductive. Organizations pay through:
• loss of the most talented workers
• absenteeism
• presenteeism
• litigation costs, however baseless the complaints
• workers comp
• disability claims

An intangible employer cost is the tarnished reputation as a toxic workplace with bad bosses running rampant, one of the "worst places to work!"

It is doubly ironic when bullying happens at a non-profit center dedicated to helping abused others. The simple fact is that bullying happens everywhere. For some people, the workplace is the venue for harmful gamesmanship with colleagues.

Watch this CNBC-TV segment where a veteran CEO agrees that bullying is not an effective long-term corporate strategy.