Workplace Bullying Examples at Work: What to Do
A team meeting ends, but the comments made in front of everyone stay with you for hours. Perhaps your work was mocked, you were excluded from a decision you needed to do your job, or another person again implied that you are incompetent. Workplace bullying examples are not always loud or obvious. Often, the pattern only becomes clear when a worker begins feeling anxious before work, questioning their judgement, or changing their behaviour to avoid one person.
Workplace conflict can be distressing, but not every difficult interaction is bullying. Understanding the difference can help you respond thoughtfully, protect your wellbeing, and seek appropriate support.
What may constitute workplace bullying?
In Australia, workplace bullying is generally understood as repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or group of workers that creates a risk to health and safety. The behaviour may come from a manager, colleague, client, contractor or group of people. It can occur face to face, by email or messaging, in meetings, or through work systems and processes.
The words “repeated” and “unreasonable” matter. A one-off disagreement, reasonable performance feedback, or a manager making lawful decisions about work is not automatically bullying, even if it feels uncomfortable. However, a single serious incident can still be harmful and may require action. It may involve harassment, discrimination, a threat to safety, or another workplace concern.
Bullying is often about the pattern and the impact. Context matters: the power difference between the people involved, the workplace culture, the frequency of conduct, and whether behaviour continues after concerns have been raised can all be relevant.
Common workplace bullying examples
Bullying can take many forms. Some behaviour is overt, while other conduct is subtle enough to leave a person wondering whether they are overreacting. That uncertainty is itself a common feature of psychological injury arising from workplace mistreatment.
Public humiliation and persistent criticism
A supervisor may regularly criticise a worker in front of colleagues, use a sarcastic or belittling tone, or focus on minor mistakes while ignoring work completed well. Feedback is part of many roles, particularly where performance, safety or compliance is involved. The concern arises when feedback becomes personal, disproportionate, inconsistent, or is delivered in a way that repeatedly shames the person.
For example, a manager who privately explains an error and provides clear expectations is managing performance. A manager who repeatedly calls someone “useless” in meetings, sends demeaning emails, or sets them up to fail is behaving very differently.
Exclusion and isolation
Exclusion can be difficult to identify because it may not look confrontational. A worker might be left out of meetings, removed from email chains, denied information necessary to complete tasks, or excluded from team communication. In some cases, colleagues stop speaking to a person after a manager has made negative comments about them.
Not every missed invitation is deliberate. But where exclusion is repeated and appears designed to undermine a worker, isolate them, or damage their ability to perform, it may form part of a bullying pattern.
Unreasonable work demands or changing expectations
Workplaces can be busy and roles can change. During a genuine operational pressure, staff may need to manage heavy workloads or competing priorities. The issue is whether expectations are reasonable, consistently applied and supported.
Potential workplace bullying examples include giving one worker impossible deadlines while others have manageable workloads, withholding training then criticising them for not knowing a process, regularly changing instructions, or allocating meaningless tasks below their role to humiliate them. A person may also be denied leave, flexibility or resources that are routinely available to others without a clear reason.
Threats, intimidation and aggressive conduct
Some bullying is unmistakable. Shouting, swearing, threatening someone’s job, invading their personal space, slamming objects, or making intimidating gestures can create a significant risk to psychological safety. Repeated hostile calls or messages outside work hours may have a similar effect.
A person does not need to be physically assaulted for the experience to be serious. Fear of the next interaction can affect sleep, concentration, confidence and a person’s sense of safety at work.
Spreading rumours or damaging someone’s reputation
Gossip is not always bullying, but repeated rumours, false allegations or comments intended to discredit a worker can be deeply damaging. This may include telling colleagues that someone is unstable, dishonest or incapable, questioning their health condition without permission, or encouraging others not to work with them.
These behaviours can be particularly difficult during a workers compensation claim or return-to-work process, when a worker may already feel exposed. Confidential health information should be handled carefully, and workplace discussions should remain focused on legitimate operational needs.
Cyberbullying and misuse of communication channels
Workplace bullying is not limited to the office, site or staffroom. It may occur through email, workplace chat platforms, text messages or video calls. Repeatedly copying senior staff into accusatory emails, sending hostile messages late at night, excluding someone from online channels, or using group chats to ridicule a colleague can all contribute to a harmful pattern.
Written communication can be useful evidence, but it can also be emotionally difficult to revisit. If messages are upsetting, consider saving them in a secure location and asking a trusted person or treating professional to help you decide what is relevant to document.
How bullying can affect mental health
Workplace bullying can affect people in different ways. Some workers notice a gradual increase in dread, irritability or self-doubt. Others experience panic symptoms before work, persistent low mood, sleep disturbance, headaches, loss of confidence, or difficulty concentrating. For some, the impact continues after they leave the workplace.
A psychological injury is not a sign of weakness. When someone is repeatedly criticised, threatened, isolated or placed under unreasonable pressure, their nervous system may remain on alert. This can make ordinary tasks feel overwhelming and can affect relationships, parenting, physical health and financial security.
People sometimes delay seeking help because they worry they will not be believed or that speaking up will make matters worse. Those concerns are understandable, especially where there is a power imbalance or an active WorkCover claim. Thoughtful therapy begins with genuine connection and an understanding of the practical pressures surrounding the injury.
Practical steps if you are experiencing bullying
There is no single right response. What is safe and appropriate depends on the severity of the behaviour, your workplace, your employment circumstances and your current wellbeing. If there is an immediate threat to your safety, remove yourself from the situation where possible and seek urgent assistance.
For ongoing concerns, these steps can provide a practical starting point:
Keep factual notes of incidents, including dates, times, what was said or done, who was present, and any effect on your work or health. Save relevant emails, messages and documents in accordance with workplace policies.
Check your employer’s bullying, grievance and workplace health and safety procedures. Some workers may feel able to raise concerns directly with the person involved, while others may need to speak with a manager, HR representative, union delegate or health and safety representative.
Seek medical or psychological support early if your sleep, anxiety, mood or functioning is affected. A GP can discuss treatment options and document health concerns. A psychologist can provide evidence-based support for anxiety, trauma symptoms, adjustment difficulties and recovery planning.
Obtain appropriate advice if you are considering a formal complaint, taking leave, or making a workers compensation claim. The clinical and administrative aspects of workplace injury can be complex, so it helps to understand your options before making decisions under pressure.
Try to keep communication factual and measured, particularly if you are documenting concerns in writing. You do not need to minimise what has happened, but clear examples and dates are often more useful than broad statements alone.
Support during a WorkCover claim or return to work
A claim process can add another layer of stress to an already difficult situation. Workers may need to communicate with an insurer, employer, treating team and workplace rehabilitation provider while managing symptoms. There can be differing views about capacity, suitable duties and the circumstances of the injury.
Specialist psychological treatment can help a worker make sense of what has occurred, reduce distress, rebuild confidence and prepare for difficult workplace conversations. It can also support a sustainable return-to-work plan where returning is clinically appropriate. At WorkCover Psychology, treatment is informed by the realities of workplace relationships and the NSW workers compensation environment, while remaining centred on each person’s individual circumstances.
You do not have to decide immediately whether an experience meets a legal definition of bullying before seeking support. If work is affecting your health, the impact is worth taking seriously. A calm, well-supported next step can make room for recovery and clearer decisions.