Workplace Abuse

Three of the more common forms of organizational abuse are bullying, incivility, and aggression. Incivility is interpreted as the lowest intensity of abuse and can include being excluded from strategic work groups or being avoided. Bullying and non-violent aggression are between the intensity levels of incivility and violent aggression, as it is the most extreme form of abuse (Yang, et al., p. 315, 2014). In 2019, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that “20, 870 workers in private industry experienced trauma from nonfatal workplace violence” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021) Each of these employees required multiple days off from work, “21% required 31 or more days away from work to recover, and 20% involved 3 to 5 days away from work” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021) The majority of those victims were women, coming to 68% of the total, and 65% of the victims were between the age of 25-54. This age range makes sense, as they make up most of the workforce. The industry with the highest amount of incidents was in healthcare and social assistance, coming to a whopping 70% (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). 

These numbers provide a view of how toxic some work environments have become; however, these numbers were all pre-Covid pandemic levels. According to a study done in an emergency department, the rate of violence in the workplace increased during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. These rates were in the forms of verbal abuse, including threatening and harassment, physical assault, including the use of weapons, bodily fluids (being spit on), or from punching, biting, kicking, etc. (McGuire, et al., 2021). 

Throughout the past few years (2020-2022), an increase in violence and incivility has been felt in more industries than just healthcare, the airline industry being a poignant example. While most of those incidents of violence are from customer to employee, cases of employer or employee to employee workplace violence or abuse are prevalent. If you or someone you know feels they are being mistreated at work, they should reach out to a trusted authority immediately. Organizational abuse can result in life-long trauma and should be treated as equally as other forms of abuse. While many employees fear retaliation or fear of not finding another job, there are ways to get out of this abuse without losing respect, dignity, or financial security.