Workplace bullying examples: 25 behaviours, from obvious to subtle

In the Workplace Bullying Institute's 2024 US survey, 32.3% of adult Americans said they had been bullied at work. That is a self-reported poll, not a count of cases, but it shows how common the experience is. The harder part is knowing when what you are seeing counts.

This list gives you 25 workplace bullying examples in 5 sets of 5, from obvious to subtle. Use it to put a name to a behaviour, to check your own habits or to start a team conversation. Each set has an Our pick, the example we would talk about first, with one line on why.

What workplace bullying is, and what it is not

The UK advisory service Acas says there is no legal definition of bullying, but describes it as unwanted behaviour from a person or group that is either offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting, or an abuse or misuse of power that undermines, humiliates, or causes physical or emotional harm. Acas adds that it can be a regular pattern of behaviour or a one-off incident, and that it can still be bullying if the person does not realise it. Many of the examples below do their damage through repetition.

Bullying is not the same as fair management. Acas gives the example of a manager who talks privately to a team member about mistakes in their work, explains the problems and shows how to correct them. That is acting appropriately as a manager, even if the person finds the feedback hard to hear. Acas's follow-up examples show how it tips over: checking all of that person's work and emailing about every small mistake is likely to be bullying even if the manager does not realise it, and picking on them in front of others is open and serious bullying.

A note on the law before the list. In the United States, bullying is generally not unlawful on its own under federal law. The EEOC says harassment becomes unlawful when it is based on a protected characteristic, such as race, sex, age or disability, and enduring it becomes a condition of keeping the job or it is severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile, intimidating or abusive environment. In the UK, Acas says bullying that relates to a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 can be discrimination. This post does not give legal advice, and the rules differ by country.

Round 1: Verbal bullying

Set 1: What people hear

1. Shouting or swearing at someone. It may be about a deadline, but the volume and the target make it intimidation.
2. Insults and name-calling. Remarks about a person's intelligence, appearance or ability, whether or not they are meant as jokes.
3. Belittling in meetings. Acas lists constantly putting someone down in meetings as an example. A raised eyebrow and "as I said before" counts when it is aimed at one person again and again.
4. Mocking. Imitating someone's accent, voice or way of speaking, or turning their mistake into a running joke.
5. Threats. Hints about someone's job, shifts or reputation if they do not comply.

Our pick: example 3, belittling in meetings. Everyone present sees it, and colleagues can find it hard to challenge a senior person in public. It can easily be brushed off as "just their style".

Round 2: Social exclusion

Set 1: Who is left out

6. Leaving someone off invitations. The team lunch, the group chat or the project kick-off happens, and one person is never told. Acas lists excluding someone from team social events as bullying.
7. The silent treatment. Colleagues answer everyone else and ignore one person's greetings and messages.
8. Spreading rumours. Acas includes spreading malicious rumours about someone. Gossip is bullying when it targets a person and is meant to damage their standing.
9. Turning backs and closing ranks. Conversations stop when one person walks in, or the group rearranges itself so there is no seat for them.
10. Cutting someone out of decisions. A person whose work depends on a decision is the last to hear about it, or never does.

Our pick: example 7, the silent treatment. There is nothing to quote or screenshot, so it can be hard to prove. The person on the receiving end may wonder whether they are imagining it. Naming it helps.

Round 3: Work sabotage

Set 1: How the work is made harder

11. Withholding information. Key files, passwords or context arrive late or never, so the person looks unprepared.
12. Impossible deadlines. One person is handed a workload that cannot be met. Acas lists deliberately giving someone a heavier workload than everyone else.
13. Taking credit. Ideas and results are presented as someone else's, or a person's name drops off a report.
14. Setting someone up to fail. Vague instructions, then criticism for getting it wrong.
15. Constantly moving the goalposts. Targets change without notice and the person is marked down against the old ones.

Our pick: example 14, setting someone up to fail. It looks like ordinary performance management on paper, so a third party can easily miss it. The clue is a pattern: the instructions are unclear for one person only.

Round 4: Subtle and covert bullying

Set 1: Hard to point to

16. Backhanded praise. "Great job, for someone with your experience." It sounds kind and leaves a sting.
17. Eye-rolling and sighing. A look or a sound each time one person speaks. It is deniable, so it is rarely challenged.
18. Micromanaging one person. Checking all of one person's work and emailing about every small mistake while others are trusted. Acas describes this pattern in its own example.
19. Gatekeeping. Holding back introductions, training or the chance to join a project, so the person cannot grow.
20. Sarcasm. Remarks that are always "just a joke", always at the same person's expense.

Our pick: example 16, backhanded praise. It is one way subtle bullying hides in plain sight, because the target hears praise and feels worse. If you recognise it in yourself, rewrite the sentence so the compliment stands alone.

Round 5: Cyberbullying at work

Set 1: Online and out of hours

21. Hostile messages. Harsh, sarcastic or humiliating emails and chat messages, often with others copied in.
22. Leaving someone out of chats. A side channel is created and one person is never added. Acas also lists humiliating or threatening comments or photos on social media as bullying.
23. Public call-outs. Criticising a person's work in a channel when a private message would do.
24. Sharing screenshots. Passing someone's message around for ridicule.
25. After-hours pile-ons. Late-night messages, repeated chasing or a flood of replies to one person.

Our pick: example 23, public call-outs. The WBI's 2021 survey found that, among remote workers, bullying happened most in virtual meetings rather than in email. Calling someone out in front of a whole call or channel is the online version of belittling in a meeting.

What to do next

If you think you are being bullied, or you have seen it happen, here is a way to take the first steps. The advice below follows Acas's guidance.

1. Check the pattern. Talk it through with someone you trust. A single hard conversation is not bullying; a pattern that makes work harder or makes you feel smaller may be.
2. Keep a record. Write down what happened, how it made you feel, the dates and times, any evidence such as emails or screenshots and any witnesses. Acas says most bullying happens out of sight, so a lack of witnesses should not stop you reporting it.
3. Speak to the person, if you feel safe. Explain what they did and how it made you feel, stay calm and be firm, not aggressive. If you would rather not, put it in an email or ask your manager or a trade union representative.
4. Use your employer's procedure. Acas says it is usually best to raise it informally first, but follow the formal route if that does not work or the behaviour is serious.
5. Know your limits. US employment law protects people who complain about discrimination or harassment based on a protected characteristic. The EEOC says anti-discrimination laws also prohibit harassment in retaliation for filing a discrimination charge, taking part in an investigation or lawsuit, or opposing employment practices you reasonably believe are discriminatory. Bullying with no protected link may not be covered, so check with the regulator or an employment lawyer.

If you manage a team, remember the WBI figure at the top: close to a third of US adults say they have been bullied at work. People who experience it may not say so unprompted, which is why asking, safely and anonymously, matters.

Ways to host a team pulse with AhaSlides

A pulse check does not replace your procedure. It does show you what people see and gives quieter people a safe way to say it. Use the 25 examples above as the content.

1. Rating Scale: "How often have you seen this?" Take one set of 5 and ask for a rating from 1 (never) to 5 (often) on each example. The averages show where to start.
2. Pick Answer: bullying or fair management? Describe a situation, such as a manager checking one person's work only, and let people choose. Then talk about why. It is a good way to use Acas's own fair-management example.
3. Word Cloud: "One word for a respectful team." The words people choose tell you what they want from each other.
4. Open Ended, anonymous: "A behaviour we should talk about." Collect answers without names and read out the themes.

If you want a ready-made session, the Respectful workplace and anti-bullying course template gives you slides to adapt.

Frequently asked questions

What are examples of workplace bullying?

Shouting, exclusion, sabotage and repeated belittling. Acas also lists spreading rumours, giving someone a heavier workload than everyone else and humiliating comments on social media.

Is workplace bullying illegal?

In the United States, not on its own under federal law. It can be unlawful when it is harassment linked to a protected characteristic and is severe or pervasive. In the UK there is no specific law against bullying, but it can be discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 or, if severe enough to make someone resign, contribute to constructive dismissal, according to Acas.

What is subtle bullying at work?

Covert behaviour such as backhanded praise, eye-rolling, sarcasm or gatekeeping, repeated over time. Each incident looks small, and the pattern is what hurts.

How do I report bullying at work?

Use your employer's procedure and keep a written log. Start with the dates, what was said or done, any evidence and any witnesses, then raise it informally with your manager or HR, or formally if that does not work.

Where to start

Pick one set from the list and use it this week: either to check your own habits or as a prompt for a short team conversation.