Workplace mobbing, also known as workplace harassment, is a silent reality that affects thousands of workers around the world. It manifests as a series of hostile and systematic behaviors directed at an employee, with the aim of undermining their reputation, deteriorating their self-esteem and, ultimately, forcing their exit from the organization. This destructive process does not occur overnight, but develops through a series of well-defined phases.
What Is Workplace Mobbing and How to Identify It?
Before delving into the phases, it is crucial to understand the precise definition of mobbing. It is not a simple interpersonal conflict or constructive criticism. Mobbing is a sustained psychological aggression over time, with a clear intent to harm the victim. It is characterized by:
- Repetition: Hostile behaviors occur recurrently, at least once a week over a prolonged period (generally six months or more).
- Intentionality: There is a clear will to harm the victim.
- Power imbalance: The bully, or group of bullies, is in a position of superiority (hierarchical, social, or even numerical) relative to the victim.
- Reputation deterioration: The aim is to isolate the victim, discredit them and undermine their professional image.
Identifying mobbing early is essential to protect the affected employee's mental and physical health. Being attentive to the signs and understanding the different phases of the process can make a difference.
The Phases of Mobbing: A Destructive Process
Workplace mobbing is not an isolated event, but a complex process that evolves through several stages. Understanding these phases is crucial to identifying the problem and taking timely action. Below, we analyze the key phases of mobbing:
1. Seduction Phase or Critical Incident
This initial phase often disguises itself as normality or even a "good work atmosphere." It may begin with an isolated conflict, an apparently constructive criticism, or a mean joke. However, this incident marks the start of an escalation of hostile behaviors. The bully begins to test the waters, observe the victim's reactions and sow the seed of doubt and insecurity. The victim's achievements are minimized and their mistakes are magnified, often subtly and ambiguously.
2. Aggression and Systematic Harassment Phase
Once the initial phase is surpassed, the harassment becomes more evident and systematic. The bully uses a variety of tactics to isolate, humiliate and discredit the victim. These tactics may include:
- Constant and unjustified criticism: The victim's work is questioned permanently, even when they perform their tasks correctly.
- Assignment of humiliating or impossible tasks: They are given tasks beneath their professional level or asked to achieve unattainable results.
- Communication blockage: They are excluded from important meetings, their opinion is ignored and access to relevant information is made difficult.
- Social isolation: Isolation of the victim is encouraged, preventing them from interacting with coworkers.
- Spreading rumors and slander: False stories about the victim are invented to damage their reputation.
- Threats and intimidation: They are threatened with dismissal, sanctions or reprisals.
This phase is crucial because the psychological harm to the victim begins to be significant. They start to experience anxiety, stress, insomnia, and even depression.
3. Organizational Intervention Phase
This phase is decisive for the victim's future. If the organization (the company, the institution) intervenes effectively to stop the harassment, the situation can be reversed. However, in most cases the organization ignores the problem, minimizes it, or even blames the victim. This lack of support further aggravates the situation and reinforces the bully's position. Often, the organization aligns with the bully to avoid legal or reputational problems.
It is important to note that, in many cases, the organization's intervention is late and ineffective, which leads to the next phase.
4. Marginalization or Exclusion Phase
In this phase, the victim is completely isolated and marginalized within the organization. Their reputation has been seriously damaged, their self-esteem is shattered and their mental health has deteriorated considerably. The victim feels powerless and without resources to defend themselves. Often, they are assigned irrelevant tasks or left without work, which reinforces their feeling of uselessness.
5. Exit from the Organization Phase (Resignation or Dismissal)
This is the final phase of the mobbing process. The victim, unable to endure the pressure and suffering, is forced to leave their job. In some cases, the victim resigns voluntarily to escape the situation. In other cases, the organization takes advantage of the situation to dismiss the victim, often with vague or unjustified excuses.
Leaving the organization does not end the victim's suffering. They often experience long-term psychological aftereffects, such as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and difficulties finding a new job.
Consequences of Workplace Mobbing
Workplace mobbing has serious consequences for both the victim and the organization. For the victim, the consequences may include:
- Mental health problems: Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic attacks, insomnia.
- Physical health problems: Headaches, digestive problems, cardiovascular diseases.
- Social isolation: Difficulty relating to others, loss of friends and family.
- Economic problems: Difficulty finding new employment, loss of income.
- Self-esteem deterioration: Feelings of guilt, shame and worthlessness.
For the organization, consequences may include:
- Decreased productivity: The work environment deteriorates, affecting the performance of all employees.
- Increased absenteeism: Employees are absent from work more frequently due to stress and anxiety.
- Staff turnover: Employees resign or are dismissed, generating recruitment and training costs.
- Deterioration of corporate image: The company's reputation is affected by reports of workplace harassment.
- Legal claims: The company may be sued by employees who have suffered workplace harassment.
How to Act Against Workplace Mobbing?
If you suspect you are being a victim of mobbing, it is essential to act as soon as possible. Here are some tips:
- Document everything: Keep emails, messages, notes and any other evidence that demonstrates the harassment.
- Talk to someone you trust: Seek support from friends, family, coworkers or mental health professionals.
- Inform the organization: If you feel safe, report the harassment to human resources or company management.
- Seek legal advice: Consult a lawyer specialized in labor law to learn your rights and legal options.
- Prioritize your mental health: Seek professional help to cope with stress and anxiety.
