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How to Recognize
Workplace Mobbing
(and What to Do About
It)

Employee Misconduct

Mobbing, or “group bullying,” creates a hostile work environment that

brings down productivity and employee morale.

Picture this: Bruce submits a complaint against his coworker Amanda

because she frequently takes personal phone calls at her desk. Amanda
resents Bruce for "tattling" and to get back at him, starts a rumor in the
of�ce that Bruce thinks their other coworker, Tom, should be �red. This
gets Tom in on the action, as well as Amanda and Tom's of�ce friends.
Soon, a whole group of bullies has formed, targeting Bruce for simply
following the rules. Psst... �

Can we help you find what you're looking for?

This is just one example of workplace mobbing. Organizations need to Privacy policy

know the signs so they can prevent this unique type of harassment
before it seeps into their workplace culture. Sure!

No, I'm just browsing

Do your employees know bullying

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when they see it?

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Employees might not know what workplace bullying looks
like or what to do if they experience it. Give examples of
Request a Demo
harassing behavior and encourage them to speak up with our
free, printable workplace poster.

Get the Poster

What is Workplace Mobbing?

Workplace mobbing looks the same as bullying, but instead of a single
harasser, the victim is targeted by a group. One or two bullies
encourage their coworkers to gang up on the victim.

As with other bullying scenarios, a victim might be targeted because

they're a racial, religious or gender minority in their workplace or have a
disability. However, the mobbing ringleader often has a career-related
reason for targeting their victim.

Here are some examples:

Mike was hoping to be promoted to manager, but instead, his company

hired extrernally to �ll the position. He's jealous of his new manager,
Betsy, so he convinces the rest of the team to undermine her to try to
drive her out of the company.

Jim was recently hired to his company and has a lot of ideas on how to
improve it. Sue fears change and wants to maintain the status quo, so
she rallies her coworkers together to exclude Jim from meetings where
he could share his ideas.

Troy is always late to work, takes a lot of sick days and consistently
underperforms. Brad, who works in the same position for the same
salary, hates having to pull Troy's weight on his team. Brad and his
coworkers start leaving nasty anonymous notes on Troy's desk, making
him miserable enough at work to leave.

Cassie recently submitted a harassment complaint against her coworker

Steven. He didn't think his behavior was wrong, so in retaliation, Steven

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and his buddies spread rumors about Cassie's love life, driving her out
of the company. Who We Help Platform Case Types Resource Center Company

RELATED: Investigating Workplace Bullying Allegations: 10 Tips for

Success Request a Demo

Workplace Mobbing Behaviors

Workplace bullying can be psychological or physical, and mobbing is no
different. The behavior depends on what the leader of the mob wants
to achieve and what the victim reacts to.

For instance, if the victim is being mobbed because of their race/

gender/sexuality/religion/age/etc., the bullies might use verbal or
physical aggression against them.

If the mob aims to undermine the victim, they might gossip and spread
rumors, exclude the victim from meetings and correspondence, or
ignore their ideas and suggestions.

The mob might also exclude the victim socially, leaving them out of
post-work drinks, lunch outings or even casual of�ce conversations.

"Often [mobbing] is subtle and possibly unintentional, involving social

ostracism and exclusion," according to the Workplace Mental Health
Promotion guide created by the Canadian Mental Health Association,
Ontario. "In fact, each individual incident may seem inconsequential but
over a period of time, mobbing erodes the self-con�dence and self-
esteem of the mobbed employee."

RELATED: How to Investigate Workplace Bullying When You Can't Even

De�ne It

Negative Effects of Mobbing

Mobbing isn't just bad news for the victim. It creates a toxic work
environment for all employees.

Obviously the worst effects of mobbing are on the victim. After weeks
or months of continued bullying, their self-esteem will suffer. They
might experience depression or anxiety and could even manifest
physical symptoms (e.g. trouble sleeping, compromised immune
system, stomach aches) as a result. The mob's gossip and slander might
ruin the victim's professional reputation, too.

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When employees who aren't involved witness mobbing, they might live
in fear of it happening to them. They'll
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Platform causing their
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productivity to decline.

Finally, mobbing negatively affects the organization as a whole. Request a Demo

Employees won't want to stick around a workplace that lets bullying
slide, so you could lose some great workers. Mobbing can also cost you
major money. If the victim was targeted due to their protected status,
they could sue you for making them work in a discriminatory and hostile
work environment.

How to Prevent Mobbing in Your

Organization
To reduce these behaviors, focus on prevention. You'll save time and
money and protect employees' well-being, plus you'll show your
commitment to a safe work environment.

First, ensure managers lead by example. Do they encourage an

excessively competitive spirit on their teams? Do they pick on their
employees? If the bosses are bullies, lower-level employees might think
that's acceptable behavior.

Managers should also evaluate their employees regularly (ideally every

six months). Is the person �tting in socially? Are they meeting
performance standards and goals? If not, they should work with that
employee to help them improve. Being proactive could save the
employee from being mobbed later on.

Be sure to include mobbing in your anti-harassment policy. De�ne it and

use clear examples so employees know the types of behavior that won't
be tolerated in your organization.

Finally, use strong case management software to handle internal

complaints. Choose a system with trend analysis to show you which
employees or of�ce locations are hot spots for harassment so you can
focus your preventive efforts there.

How are you handling workplace harassment? Read how case

management software can help you manage, investigate and
prevent incidents in our free eBook.

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