Estimating the Impact of Workplace Bullying: Humanistic and Economic Burden among Workers with Chronic Medical Conditions

Workplace Bullying in Italy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Within any work environment, employees may be affected by "workplace bullying", a form of violent and repeated social behavior towards subordinates and colleagues. This review aimed to investigate the prevalence of bullied workers in Italy, the causes of the phenomenon, and the consequences at physical, psychological, and organizational levels.

METHODS

We included observational studies and systematic reviews examining the prevalence of bullied workers and the causes and consequences in Italian workplaces. Data extraction and analysis were performed on all included studies. The research strategy included three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science). A comprehensive search was done to retrieve articles based on a PRISMA-compliant protocol registered in PROSPERO: CRD 42023394635.

RESULTS

One hundred eighty-four articles were retrieved, and once duplicates and irrelevant articles were removed, 42 useful articles were reviewed. The mean pooled prevalence, calculated based on workers complaining of mistreatment, was 6.7% (SD: 4,09) and increased significantly to 17.0% (SD: 12.88) when considering only healthcare workplaces. Causes include how impaired mental health and high workload reinforce the possibility of being bullied in the workplace, resulting in a worsening of the worker's quality of life (physical and psychological) and the work organization with increased absenteeism and job changes.

CONCLUSIONS

Workplace bullying is a very present phenomenon within workplaces in Italy. In light of this, it is necessary to put prevention plans in place and find solutions to maintain optimal organizational well-being in the work environment.

Incivility, Work Withdrawal, and Organizational Commitment Among US Surgeons

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prevalence of incivility among trainees and faculty in cardiothoracic surgery, general surgery, plastic surgery, and vascular surgery in the U.S, and to determine the association of incivility on job and work withdrawal and organizational commitment.

BACKGROUND

Workplace incivility has not been described in surgery and can negatively impact the well-being of individuals, teams, and organizations at-large.

METHODS

Using a cross-sectional, web-based survey study of trainees and faculty across 16 academic institutions in the U.S., we evaluated the prevalence of incivility and its association with work withdrawal and organizational commitment.

RESULTS

There were 486 (18.3%) partial responses, and 367 (13.8%) complete responses from surgeons [including 183 (56.1%) faculty and 143 (43.9%) residents or fellows]. Of all respondents, 92.2% reported experiencing at least 1 form of incivility over the past year. Females reported significantly more incivility than males (2.4 ± 0.91 versus 2.05 ± 0.91, P < 0.001). Asian Americans reported more incivility than individuals of other races and ethnicities (2.43 ± 0.93, P = 0.003). After controlling for sex, position, race, and specialty, incivility was strongly associated with work withdrawal (β = 0.504, 95% CI: 0.341-0.666). There was a significant interaction between incivility and organizational commitment, such that highly committed individuals had an even greater impact of incivility on the outcome of job and work withdrawal (β = 0.178, 95% CI: 0.153-0.203).

CONCLUSIONS

Incivility is widespread in academic surgery and is strongly associated with work withdrawal. Leaders must invest in strategies to eliminate incivility to ensure the well-being of all individuals, teams, and organizations at-large.

Workplace Bullying in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

OBJECTIVES

The specific aims of the study are to explore the prevalence of workplace bullying and to understand the impact of bullying on individual wellness in order to facilitate the development of future organizational solutions to mitigate workplace incivility.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data were collected via a web-based survey to gather exploratory demographic information and to assess the relationships between intensity of the exposure to the negative acts with laboratory productivity. Associations between laboratories offering resources to employees and their impacts on productivity and professional job fulfillment were also explored.

RESULTS

Results of the survey showed that over two-thirds of laboratorians (68.56%) were classified as victims of workplace bullying, and the perpetrator is most likely a peer of the victim (55.3%). The study revealed the intensity of workplace incivility was positively correlated with the number of sick days taken by the laboratory practitioner (F(2, 217) = 24.245, P < .001). Facilities with a supportive work environment were also associated with a reduction in the number of sick mental days taken (P < .001), a proxy for improved work and health outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study shed light on the prevalence of incivility at the workplace and offer evidence on the importance of providing a supportive work environment toward reducing workplace bullying.

Investigating Mobbing Syndrome's Incidence in the Working Environment of a Public and a Private Greek Hospital

To investigate the phenomenon of moral harassment (mobbing) as well as the effect of demographic and occupational characteristics of healthcare professionals working in a public provincial general hospital and a private hospital in Athens a cross-sectional survey was designed. The study was conducted from November to December 2021 through the application of the Leymann Inventory of Psychological Terror (LIPT) a widely recognized research tool for the quantitative investigation of ethical harassment in the workplace. 264 fully completed questionnaires were collected out of the 300 that were distributed in both hospitals (response rates: 92% for the public hospital and 83.3% for the private). It was observed that private hospital's employees were morally harassed to a greater extent and for a longer time than the employees of a public hospital. The levels of moral harassment were quite high, indicating the necessity of thorough audit by the management in both hospitals.

The pros and cons of remote work in relation to bullying, loneliness and work engagement: A representative study among Norwegian workers during COVID-19

Remote work became the new normal during COVID-19 as a response to restrictions imposed by governments across the globe. Therefore, remote work’s impact on employee outcomes, well-being, and psychological health has become a serious concern. However, the knowledge about the mechanisms and outcomes of remote work is still limited. In this study, we expect remote work to be negatively related to bullying and assume that bullying will mediate remote work’s impact on work engagement and loneliness. To test our hypothetical model, we applied a cross-sectional design using data from a large representative sample of 1,511 Norwegian workers. The data were collected in September 2021 during a period of COVID-19 restrictions in Norway. The results confirmed our hypotheses: remote work was positively related to loneliness and work engagement but negatively related to bullying. Further, bullying was positively related to loneliness and negatively related to work engagement. Moreover, bullying was also found to play a partial mediating role, supporting our hypothesis. This study suggests that remote work is related to both positive and negative mechanisms in the workplace. Remote work can potentially reduce bullying and have a protective function in preventing bullying. However, since remote work has positive relations with both loneliness and work engagement, this study illustrates that organizations should be cautious and perhaps consider a moderate level of remote work. Hence, the results have several implications for HR policies and management.

Assessing civility at an academic health science center: Implications for employee satisfaction and well-being

Incivilities are pervasive among workers in healthcare institutions. Previously identified effects include deterioration of employee physical and mental health, absenteeism, burnout, and turnover, as well as reduced patient safety and quality of care. This study documented factors related to organizational civility at an academic health sciences center (AHSC) as the basis for future intervention work. We used a cross-sectional research design to conduct an online survey at four of five campuses of an AHSC. Using the Organizational Civility Scale (OCS), we assessed differences across gender, race (White and non-White) and job type (faculty or staff) in the eleven subscales (frequency of incivility, perceptions of organizational climate, existence of civility resources, importance of civility resources, feelings about current employment, employee satisfaction, sources of stress, coping strategies, overall levels of stress/coping ability, and overall civility rating). Significant gender differences were found in six of the eleven subscales: perception of organizational climate (p < .001), existence of civility resources (p = .001), importance of civility resources (p < .001), frequency of incivilities (p < .001), employee satisfaction (p = .002), and overall civility rating (p = .007). Significant differences between respondents by self-identified race were found only in one subscale: existence of civility resources (p = .048). Significant differences were found between faculty and staff in four subscales: perception of organizational climate (p = .001), importance of civility resources (p = .02), employee satisfaction (p = .01), and overall levels of stress (p = .03). Results suggest that gender and employment type differences exist in the perception of organizational climate at the academic health center, while significant racial differences only occurred in reference to reported existence of civility resources. Attention to these differences should be incorporated into the development of programs to address the problem.

Women and men, authors and victims of workplace bullying in Italy: a literature review

INTRODUCTION

It is known in literature that women are frequently victims of murder, sexual assault and stalking. It is interesting to investigate the gender characterization when workplace bullying occurs.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the phenomenon of workplace bullying and to understand if there are any relevant data about the gender aspects of workplace bullying by reviewing the literature in Italy.

METHODS

Review of articles on a sample of Italian workers. The research question followed the P.E.C.O. model and the article selection is based on PRISMA statement. Fourteen research strings were applied on: Pubmed, Microsoft Academic e Science Direct. A total of 32 articles were selected.

RESULTS

There are few studies in which gender differences on workplace bullying and crimes related are analysed, in some cases it is considered in the research but not in the results section (n=6 articles). In the studies selected women are predominantly victims (n=10 articles), the aggressors instead are usually men (n=2 articles). The attacks suffered by women are frequently discriminations due to family management, children and gender related issues (n=6 articles). Men have the major consequences on mental health if compared to women (n=7 articles).

CONCLUSIONS

Gender is relevant in the characterization of workplace bullying. There is a need for further investigation focusing on gender differences between perpetrators and victims of workplace bullying offences. A unique evaluation protocol is necessary for evaluating workplace bullying, the crimes linked to it and gender differences, to obtain a more accurate comparability of data.

"I Would be More of a Liability than an Asset": Navigating the Workplace as a Younger Person with Arthritis

Purpose Over half the population in Australia with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions is aged 25-64 years. This reflects the peak income-earning years for most, yet little research has examined the influence of arthritis on work issues specific to younger people. The aim of this research was to examine the work-related experiences of younger people (defined as those aged 18-50 years). Methods A qualitative exploratory design was used. Participants with inflammatory arthritis or osteoarthritis were recruited from the community, including urban and rural settings. An interview guide was based on the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Deductive and inductive coding techniques were used to identify emerging work-related themes from the data. Results Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 younger people (90% female) with a mix of arthritis conditions, vocational backgrounds and career stages. Three themes were identified: (1) the perceived impacts of arthritis on career trajectories, (2) the impacts of arthritis on participants' workplace environment, employers, and colleagues, and (3) the personal toll of working with arthritis. The personal toll of working with arthritis relates to the arthritis-attributable impacts of physical and psychological symptoms on productivity and presenteeism in the workplace. Conclusion Younger people with arthritis experience numerous challenges at key stages of their careers, from career planning through to productive working. This can be used to inform workplace accommodations for people with arthritis and increase awareness of likely barriers to work productivity among colleagues, employers and clinicians.

Adverse childhood experiences and bullying behaviours at work among workers in Japan

OBJECTIVES

To examine the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), workplace bullying victimisation and bullying behaviours to subordinates among Japanese workers.

METHODS

We conducted an internet-based cross-sectional survey among workers who had enacted 0, 1 and ≥2 types of bullying behaviours that had been directed towards subordinates in the past 3 years (n=309 for each group, total N=927). We assessed ACEs with questionnaires about adverse experiences at home and bullying victimisation at school. The total and controlled direct effects of ACEs on the number of bullying behaviours to subordinates were estimated from a baseline-adjusted and a direct-effect marginal structural ordinal logistic model, respectively.

RESULTS

There was a positive dose-response association between the level of ACEs and the frequency of workplace bullying victimisation, as well as the number of bullying behaviours enacted at work after adjustment for sex, age and childhood socioeconomic status (both p<0.001). Workers in the highest tertile of ACEs compared with the lowest tertile had 3.15 (95% CI 2.20 to 4.50) times higher odds of having perpetrated more bullying behaviours at work. The magnitude of the effect was 2.57 (95% CI 1.70 to 3.90) via pathways not mediated by workplace bullying victimisation in a direct-effect marginal structural model.

CONCLUSIONS

People who had ACEs were at increased risk later in life of enacting bullying behaviours at work. Current findings may be useful to prevent bullying behaviours at work.

Understanding the Impact of Bullying in a Unionized U.S. Public Sector Workforce

Background: Workplace Bullying (WPB) can have a tremendous, negative impact on the victims and the organization as a whole. The purpose of this study was to examine individual and organizational impact associated with exposure to bullying in a large U.S. unionized public sector workforce. Methods: A cross-sectional Web-based survey was conducted among 16,492 U.S. state government workers. Survey domains included demographics, negative acts (NAs) and bullying, supportiveness of the organizational climate, and individual and organizational impacts of bullying. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the impact among respondents who reported exposure to bullying. Findings: A total of 72% participants responded to the survey (n = 11,874), with 43.7% (n = 5,181) reporting exposure to NAs and bullying. A total of 40% (n = 4,711) participants who experienced WPB reported individual impact(s) while 42% (n = 4,969) reported organization impact(s). Regular NA was associated with high individual impact (negatively impacted them personally; odds ratio [OR] = 5.03) when controlling for other covariates including: female gender (OR =1.89) and job tenure of 6 to 10 years (OR = 1.95); working in a supportive organizational climate and membership in a supportive bargaining unit were protective of high impact (OR = 0.04 and OR = 0.59, respectively). High organizational impact (transferring to another position) was associated with regular NA and bullying (OR = 16.26), female gender (OR = 1.55), providing health care and field service (OR = 1.68), and protective effect of organizational climate (OR = 0.39). We found a dose-response relationship between bullying and both individual and organizational-level impact. Conclusion/Application to Practice: Understanding the impacts of WPB should serve to motivate more workplaces and unions to implement effective interventions to ameliorate the problem by enhancing the organizational climate, as well as management and employee training on the nature of WPB and guidance on reporting.

Are perceived bad working conditions and perceived workplace bullying associated with doctor visits? Results of the nationally representative German General Social Survey

BACKGROUND

The reason for doctor visits associated with bad working conditions (and workplace bullying) remains unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the association between perceived working conditions as well as workplace bullying and the number of doctor visits as well as the reason for seeing a doctor.

METHODS

Data were derived from the German General Social Survey, a representative cross-section of the population in the year 2014. Self-reported doctor visits in the last 3 months were used as outcome measure. Self-rated working conditions (noise, bad air; time/performance pressure; bad working atmosphere; overtime; shifts/night work; hard physical labour) and workplace bullying were assessed. The reason for seeing a doctor was also recorded (acute illness; chronic illness; feeling unwell; requesting advice; visit to the doctor's office without consulting the doctor (e.g., need to get a prescription); preventive medical check-up/vaccination). Regression analysis stratified by sex was conducted.

RESULTS

Adjusting for various potential confounders, Poisson regressions showed that workplace bullying was associated with increased doctor visits in men, but not in women. Contrarily, time/performance pressure at work was only associated with increased doctor visits in women, but not in men. Furthermore, the probability of visiting the doctor for reasons of acute illness or feeling unwell increased with workplace bullying in men. The probability of visiting the doctor because of feeling unwell increased with time/performance pressure in women.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings stress the association between adverse working conditions (workplace bullying as well as time/performance pressure at work) and doctor visits, with remarkable gender differences. Longitudinal studies are required to confirm the present findings and to obtain further insights into this relationship.

Individual and Organizational Characteristics Associated With Workplace Bullying of School Nurses in Virginia

The prevalence and contributing factors of workplace bullying (WPB) are unknown among school nurses (SNs) in kindergarten to 12th grade programs. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine individual and organizational characteristics of WPB in a sample of SNs in Virginia. Based on the Short-Negative Acts Questionnaire, 40% of nurses did not experience bullying behavior, 34.8% of nurses faced occasional bullying (now and then or monthly), and 25.3% of nurses were frequently bullied (weekly or daily). Backward stepwise regression demonstrated the predictor variables of being non-White, a licensed practical nurse, or not involved in student individual education plans were significantly associated with being bullied. Administrators/supervisors need to be aware of the existence of WPB.

The effects of autoimmune blistering diseases on work productivity: A review

This review examines the work productivity in patients with autoimmune blistering diseases (AIBDs). Work productivity and employment are important aspects of a patient's life, which can be affected by diseases. The Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAIQ) is a validated instrument that can measure work productivity and assess the impact of disease on patients' work lives. There is currently a paucity of research that investigates the reason why AIBDs cause such a large impact on work productivity and whether AIBDs affect employment status. Using quality of life (QoL) instruments in conjunction with the creation of an adapted WPAIQ to examine the reasons behind work impairment may further characterize these effects and unveil a deeper understanding of stigmatization in the workplace as a factor of loss of work productivity.

Nurse Bullying: Impact on Nurses’ Health

Workplace bullying has been experienced by 27% to 80% of nurses who have participated in studies. Bullying behaviors negatively impact the health of nurses. This study examined whether nurses’ resilience had an impact on the effects of bullying on the nurse’s health. This cross-sectional descriptive study surveyed licensed registered nurses in one state. The sample ( N = 345) was predominately female (89%) and Caucasian (84%), with an average age of 46.6 years. In this sample, 40% of nurses were bullied. Higher incidence of bullying was associated with lower physical health scores ( p = .002) and lower mental health scores ( p = .036). Nurses who are bullied at work experience lower physical and mental health, which can decrease the nurses’ quality of life and impede their ability to deliver safe, effective patient care.

Insights into workplace bullying: psychosocial drivers and effective interventions

Research on effectiveness of workplace bullying interventions has lagged behind descriptive studies on this topic. The literature on bullying intervention research has only recently expanded to a point that allows for synthesis of findings across empirical studies. This study addresses the question of whether workplace bullying can be reduced in prevalence and consequences, if so to what extent and by which strategies and interventions. It opens with a brief overview of the nature of bullying at work and discussion of some precursors and existing interventions. However, its principal focus is on the findings obtained from selected (quasi-) experimental longitudinal studies on antibullying interventions, drawing together the results of studies conducted in Europe, USA, and Australia, including several economic sectors, and concerned about primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs and strategies. Additional emphasis is considered from the psychosocial drivers highlighted both from prescriptive and cross-sectional studies and factual empirical studies. One randomized control study and seven quasiexperimental longitudinal studies were identified by searching electronic databases and bibliographies and via contact with experts. The majority of outcomes evidenced some level of change, mostly positive, suggesting that workplace bullying interventions are more likely to affect knowledge, attitudes, and self-perceptions, but actual bullying behaviors showed much more mixed results. In general, growing effectiveness was stated as the level of intervention increased from primary to tertiary prevention. However, methodological problems relating to the evaluation designs in most studies do not allow direct attribution of these findings to the interventions. Overall, the evaluation of antibullying interventions must flourish and be improved, requiring close cooperation between practitioners and academics to design, implement, and evaluate effective interventions based on grounded theoretical and methodological approaches. Finally, this systematic review highlights future directions for enhancing the adoption, high-quality implementation, and dissemination of evidence-based workplace bullying prevention and intervention programs.