For Immediate Release
Date: Aug.30, 2007
Zogby Poll: As Labor Day Nears,Workplace Bullying Institute Survey Finds Half of Working AmericansAffected by Workplace Bullying
UTICA, NY – Half of working Americans (49%) have suffered or witnessed workplace bullying -- including verbal abuse, job sabotage, abuse of authority or destruction of workplace relationships, according to a new Workplace Bullying Institute/Zogby Interactive survey.
Prevalence. The WBI survey found that 37% of the U.S. workforce, an estimated 54 million employees, have been bullied now or sometime during their worklife. Despite this epidemic-level prevalence, 45% of respondents said they have never seen or experienced bullying at work.
"It's clearly a 'silent epidemic,'" claims Dr. Gary Namie, Director of the Workplace Bullying Institute in Bellingham, Washington. Stress from prolonged exposure to bullying (33% suffer for more than one year) adversely affects psychological or physical health of 45% of targets.
Gender. When bullies are women, they choose other women as their prey in 71% of cases. Bullying, or status-blind harassment, is four (4) times more prevalent than illegal, civil rights, status-based harassment. Same-gender harassment defines the two most frequent categories of bullying. Gary Namie said, "It was legal when we started the movement in '98 and it still is today."
Employer reactions. Because 40% of bullied respondents left their jobs, it is estimated that the skills of 21+ million workers are lost to employers due to bullying. However, when employers are notified, in the majority (62%) of cases, they do nothing or make matters worse. Employer indifference may be based on these findings -- most bullies are bosses (72%); bullies enjoy support from executive sponsors, peers and human resources; most targets are non-supervisory workers (55%); and in 80% of cases, it is legal.
Method. The nationwide interactive survey was conducted August 10 – 13, 2007, and included 7,740 respondents. The measure of error is +/– 1.1 percentage points. This is the largest, national, representative study of the phenomenon in the U.S. to date.
Results can be found online at: bullyinginstitute.org WBI is the sole U.S. nonprofit research & education organization dedicated to the correction & prevention of workplace bullying.
California Healthy Workplace Advocates is a WBI affiliate group http://www.bullyfreeworkplace.org
Contact: Dr. Gary Namie, WBI 360-656-6630
Contact: William Lepowsky, California Healthy Workplace Advocates 510-524-2101