Workplace Bullying in Australia

Workplace bullying continues to be a significant issue across Australian workplaces, affecting employee wellbeing, productivity, and organisational culture. While most employers are aware of the general concept of bullying, understanding who bullies, how they operate, and why can make the difference between reactive HR practices and a proactive, psychologically safe workplace.

Defining Workplace Bullying

Workplace bullying is defined by Safe Work Australia (2022) as repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed at a worker or group of workers that creates a risk to health and safety. It can take many forms—verbal, physical, social, or psychological—and unlike a one-off conflict, bullying involves a pattern of power abuse and harm.

As Einarsen et al. (2020)   note, bullying is best understood as a form of persistent negative acts—such as isolation, humiliation, or obstruction—that degrade an individual’s dignity or ability to function in the workplace.

The Five Common Types of Workplace Bullies

Understanding bullying means recognising the different personas bullies adopt in the workplace. Research shows that bullying can manifest in diverse styles and motives (Namie & Namie, 2009; Samnani & Singh, 2012):

1. The Screamer

Often overt and aggressive, this bully intimidates through yelling, threats, and public humiliation. They thrive on fear and tend to dominate meetings or interactions through volume and aggression.

Research Insight: Such behaviours are often tolerated or even rewarded in performance-driven cultures, especially where toxic leadership is normalised (Skogstad et al., 2007).

2. The Gatekeeper

This person withholds information, resources, or opportunities to sabotage others — subtly but intentionally. Often operating in middle-management, gatekeepers manipulate access to tools required for success.

HR Risk: Gatekeepers often avoid detection because their tactics mimic performance management, though their real intent is obstruction.

3. The Two-Faced

Highly manipulative, this type is pleasant to superiors but undermines colleagues behind the scenes. They may spread rumours, exclude others socially, or take credit for others’ work.

Cultural Damage: This bully thrives in hierarchical or political environments where visibility is confused with integrity.

4. The Micro-Manager

Under the guise of "perfectionism", this bully uses excessive control, nit-picking, and unrealistic expectations to wear down employees. Their behaviour may be framed as concern for quality but is rooted in distrust and dominance.

Employee Impact: Research shows this leads to high turnover and burnout, particularly among early-career professionals (Fevre et al., 2012).

5. The Serial Bully

A repeat offender who targets multiple people over time. They often have charismatic traits that mask their behaviour from leadership. Left unchecked, they can shape entire team dynamics around fear.

Organisational Cost: Serial bullies are a major liability, often responsible for disproportionate turnover, complaints, and grievances.

The Cost of Bullying

The toll of bullying goes beyond the individuals involved. Targets often experience anxiety, depression, PTSD, and reduced career confidence. A study by the Productivity Commission (2010) estimated the economic cost of bullying to Australian organisations at over $6 billion annually  due to lost productivity, absenteeism, and legal disputes.

Legal Landscape in Australia

Under the Fair Work Act 2009, workers can apply to the Fair Work Commission for an order to stop bullying. Additionally, employers are required under work health and safety (WHS) laws to eliminate or minimise psychosocial hazards in the workplace, which includes bullying. The recent Model Code of Practice on Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work (2022) outlines bullying as a key risk factor that employers must proactively address.

Prevention and Intervention: What Works?

Preventing bullying requires more than policies on paper. Evidence from Australian and international studies supports a combination of cultural, structural, and behavioural interventions:

• Policy Clarity and Enforcement

Anti-bullying policies should define unacceptable behaviours clearly, outline complaint mechanisms, and ensure accountability (Salin, 2008).

• Leadership Accountability

Managers play a key role in shaping workplace norms. Training in trauma-informed supervision, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence reduces risk (Skogstad et al., 2007).

• Bystander Empowerment

Encouraging co-workers to speak up and support targets can break the cycle. Bystander training has been shown to shift team dynamics and reduce tolerance for bullying (Paull, Omari, & Standen, 2012).

• Cultural Audits

Conducting anonymous surveys and climate assessments helps detect hidden bullying patterns and informs prevention strategies.

Let’s Build Better Workplaces

Bullying isn’t a personality issue — it’s a systems issue. At the 11th HR Clinic, we work with organisations to identify, respond to, and prevent workplace bullying using legally compliant, evidence-informed strategies.

We can assist you with:

• Designing or auditing bullying prevention policies
• Training managers to detect and disrupt bullying behaviours
• Investigating complex bullying complaints
• Facilitating early interventions through coaching or mediation

Let’s build the kind of workplace where respect is not just an aspiration but an expectation.

References

• Einarsen, S. V., Hoel, H., Zapf, D., & Cooper, C. L. (2020). Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace: Theory, Research and Practice (3rd ed.). CRC Press.
• Fevre, R., Lewis, D., Robinson, A., & Jones, T. (2012). Insight into ill-treatment in the workplace: patterns, causes and solutions. Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice, 4(2), 138–168.
• Namie, G., & Namie, R. (2009). The Bully at Work: What You Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity on the Job (2nd ed.). Sourcebooks.
• Paull, M., Omari, M., & Standen, P. (2012). When is a bystander not a bystander? A typology of the roles of bystanders in workplace bullying. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 50(3), 351–366.
• Productivity Commission. (2010). Performance Benchmarking of Australian Business Regulation: Occupational Health & Safety.
• Salin, D. (2008). The prevention of workplace bullying as a question of human resource management: Measures adopted and underlying organizational factors. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 24(3), 221–231.
• Samnani, A.-K., & Singh, P. (2012). 20 years of workplace bullying research: A review of the antecedents and consequences of bullying in the workplace. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 17(6), 581–589.
• Skogstad, A., Einarsen, S., Torsheim, T., Aasland, M. S., & Hetland, H. (2007). The destructiveness of laissez-faire leadership behavior. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 12(1), 80–92.
• Safe Work Australia. (2022). Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work: Code of Practice.