Workplace Bullying and Employee Well-Being

Workplace bullying is characterised by persistent exposure to negative behaviours—such as verbal harassment, social exclusion and unfair criticism—that occur over time and create a power imbalance between perpetrator and target. This phenomenon is now recognised as a global occupational hazard with profound implications for individual health and organisational performance. Targets of bullying frequently report elevated levels of stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, alongside increased sickness absence, reduced job satisfaction and greater turnover intentions. Observers of bullying also experience heightened psychological distress and diminished morale, indicating that the impact extends beyond direct victims to the wider work unit. Emerging evidence has linked sustained exposure to bullying with physiological dysregulation, including heightened inflammatory markers and an elevated risk of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes. Research highlights a bidirectional relationship in which pre-existing mental health problems may increase vulnerability to bullying, creating a self-reinforcing cycle. Effective mitigation hinges on comprehensive organisational strategies that combine robust measurement, leadership training, supportive bystander mechanisms and a climate that prioritises psychosocial safety.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Workplace Bullying and Employee Well-Being publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in workplace bullying and employee well-being across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Workplace bullying: Repeated and systematic negative actions directed at an individual, creating a power imbalance and causing harm.

Employee well-being: A holistic concept encompassing psychological, physical and social dimensions of health in the workplace.

Bystander intervention: Actions taken by witnesses of bullying to support targets, address perpetrators or alter the situation.

Psychosocial safety climate: Organisational policies, practices and procedures for protecting workers’ psychological health and safety.

High performance work systems: Integrated human resource practices designed to enhance employee skills, motivation and involvement, thereby improving organisational outcomes.

References

1. Mapping bystander intervention to workplace inclusion: A scoping review. Human Resource Management Review (2024).
2. Psychosocial work environment, work engagement, and employee commitment: A moderated, mediation model. International Journal of Hospitality Management (2020).
3. Risk Factors for Workplace Bullying: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2019).
4. What we know, what we do not know, and what we should and could have known about workplace bullying: An overview of the literature and agenda for future research. Aggression and Violent Behavior (2018).
5. Workplace Bullying and Mental Health: A Meta-Analysis on Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Data. PLOS ONE (2015).
6. Workplace bullying and sickness absence: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the research literature.. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health (2016).
7. Consequences of workplace bullying with respect to the well-being of its targets and the observers of bullying.. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health (2001).
8. Workplace bullying and violence as risk factors for type 2 diabetes: a multicohort study and meta-analysis. Diabetologia (2017).
9. Different mechanisms to explain the reversed effects of mental health on work characteristics.. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health (2005).
10. Measuring bullying at work with the short-negative acts questionnaire: identification of targets and criterion validity. Work & Stress (2018).