Monday, April 1, 2019 Types of Workplace Bullies and Their Tactics Guide Magazine What is Workplace Bullying? Bullying is usually seen as acts or verbal comments that could dominate or isolate a person in the workplace. Sometimes, it can involve negative physical contact as well. Bullying usually involves repeated incidents or a pattern of behaviour that is intended to intimidate, offend, degrade, or humiliate a particular person or group of people. Bully Behaviour Bullying usually involves a pattern of behaviour. Actions can be both obvious and subtle. Bullying behaviours include the following: Spreading malicious rumours, gossip, or innuendo Excluding or isolating someone socially Intimidation Undermining or deliberately impeding a person’s work Physically abusing or threatening abuse Removing areas of responsibilities without cause Constantly changing work guidelines Establishing impossible deadlines Withholding information or giving wrong information Telling offensive jokes in person, by email, or social media Intruding on privacy by pestering, spying, or stalking Singling out for unreasonable duties or workload Underwork—creating a feeling of uselessness Yelling or using profanity Criticizing a person persistently or constantly Belittling a person’s opinions Unwarranted punishment Blocking applications for training, leave, or promotion Tampering with personal belongings or work equipment What Is Not Bullying Expressing different opinions Work instruction, supervision, and evaluation Making a legitimate complaint about work conduct Reasonable management action (job duties, scheduling) Workloads and deadlines Layoffs, transfers, promotions, and reorganizations Offering helpful feedback Performance management Discipline, suspensions, or terminations when conducted appropriately A Cautionary Tale If an employer investigates a claim of bullying and finds no wrongdoing, the worker who made the false claim can face serious repercussions. A pharmacy technician in Alberta was fired in 2016 after repeated complaints about a new manager were investigated and proved to be bogus. Investigators found the worker lacked credibility, made inconsistent statements that became increasingly exaggerated, and was not supported by her colleagues. The worker’s union filed a grievance, but the dismissal was upheld by an arbitration board. The board found the worker had acted in bad faith when she made the complaint and that her intent was to harm a manager she simply didn’t like. Tip If you are not sure an action or statement could be considered bullying, you can use the reasonable-person test. Would most people consider the action unacceptable? Know Your Bully Knowing the type of person you are dealing with can help determine how best to defend yourself. Often, bullies will recruit others to help. Men tend to favour using other managers, while women recruit from their social network. 7 Bully Types 1. Subtle – Torment victims through passive-aggressive techniques and destroy reputations by spreading rumours, gossip, and lies 2. Abusive – Hound victims without mercy and look to humiliate them in a public setting 3. Controlling – Withhold resources necessary to succeed (e.g., time, budget, autonomy, training) 4. Raging – Use out-of-control anger to intimidate victims 5. Echo – Mimic bullying behaviour with their subordinates 6. Opportunistic – Highly competitive bullies who step on other people for career gains 7. Critic – Falsely accuse or undermine victims behind closed doors Previous Next You might be interested in #WomenWednesday - Shandora Threadgould 22 Jul 2026 The Power of Asking for Help 20 Jul 2026 How to Manage an Insecure Leader 16 Jul 2026 Heat of the Moment 13 Jul 2026