Mobbing at work – what do you need to know and how to defend yourself?

The report "Work safety in Poland 2019. Mobbing, depression, stress in the workplace" shows that almost half, as many as 46% of Polish office and physical-mental workers admit that they have experienced mobbing in the workplace . Half of the people were victims of verbal violence , and 14% – physical violence ¹ .

Recently, there have been many reports in the media about mobbing in various companies. There were high-profile cases involving a large weekly magazine in which mobbing was allegedly committed by the editor-in-chief . Recently, former TVN journalist Anna Wendzikowska spoke about similar experiences . People who have experienced violence at work - because mobbing is violence - are speaking out more and more boldly. And that's a good thing, because the conspiracy of silence around violence means that victims are secondarily victimized, and unethical practices are swept under the carpet, contributing to the suffering of other people.

What is mobbing at work?

Mobbing is long-term and persistent harassment of an employee, which may take various forms - from offensive comments, by omitting a given person in correspondence and avoiding him, isolating him, to verbal humiliation and creating a sense of threat. Ignoring an employee and sexual harassment are also manifestations of mobbing, and the full definition can be found in Art. 94 of the Labor Code ² . Mobbing is defined as "actions or behavior relating to an employee or directed against an employee, consisting in persistent and long-term harassment or intimidation of an employee, causing him to lower his professional suitability , causing or intended to humiliate or ridicule the employee, isolating him or her or eliminating him from the team." co-workers".

Remote work has created new areas for abuse on the part of superiors , as explained by labor market expert and TOK FM journalist Zuzanna Piechowicz in an interview with "Przegląd". "The boss can create a group on Messenger and not invite one person to it. Harassment and intimidation can be done, for example, by e-mail . Sending messages at night , constant pressure on various messengers - violence may take the form online, but the harm caused by it is very real. In Portugal has introduced a law prohibiting supervisors from sending text messages and e-mails to employees after working hours," she ^said . Therefore, it is necessary to educate managers and train them not only in management, but also in soft skills such as empathy .

How to recognize mobbing at work?

The behavior of the person mobbing is permanent and repeated , and the victim is unable to determine the rational reasons for such behavior, which leads to a decrease in the employee's self-esteem and mood . As a consequence, it may also cause depression or other disorders caused by constant stress . Importantly, mobbing does not have to occur between the boss and the employee. In such a system we are dealing with the so-called vertical (diagonal) mobbing , because one person (the mobbing person, in a position of power) is higher in the company's hierarchy. There is also horizontal mobbing , when the mobbing person is the victim's co-worker . Any manifestation of mobbing must be reported to the employer . Many companies already have ethics committees that consider all forms of discrimination and violence.

How to defend yourself against mobbing at work?

If at work you are the victim of malice, you are the recipient of offensive words or gestures, your boss (or co-worker) tries to ridicule you, belittle you, assigns you senseless, time-consuming tasks, threatens you, isolates you, makes you feel insecure and threatened (e.g. losing your job), disrespects you he spreads rumors - you can defend yourself. Report it . If you are being harassed by a co-worker, you can take the matter to your employer . If this does not help, or if your supervisor is a mobber, contact the National Labor Inspectorate ⁴ .

Such a report should be in writing because it is important that it is included in the files . Then it may constitute evidence of proceedings within the company and possibly in court if you apply for compensation . If your health condition deteriorates as a result of mobbing, you can, pursuant to Art. 943 of the Labor Code, claim compensation for harm suffered and compensation in the amount of at least the minimum wage if the employment contract was terminated as a result of mobbing.

You can also sue the mobber for infringement of personal rights . In Poland, still few people decide to take legal action, as the process is usually long and expensive, and a person who has experienced mobbing may feel so intimidated that they will not decide to take such a step. For "peace of mind" he will simply quit his job quietly. Additionally, she often struggles with depression or another disorder caused by the violence she has experienced, and she simply does not have the strength to take legal action. Such a person often struggles with a lack of self-confidence and a sense of injustice and helplessness, and in such a state it is difficult to take decisive action. However, it is worth remembering that there are many actions that can – and should – be taken.

Bibliography:

1. Work safety in Poland 2019, Mobbing, depression, stress in the workplace, 2019.
2. Obligations of the employer and employee (Articles 94-113), kary.infor.pl, August 6, 2009
3. Anna Stachowiak, How to leave the office that is in the dining room, Tygodni Przegląd, May 16, 2022.
4. We thank mobbing - preventive and control activities of the National Labor Inspectorate, June 30, 2022, National Labor Inspectorate, pip.gov.pl.