In its first survey of experiences of violence and harassment at work, the World Labor Organization (ILO) found that 23% of people who work for companies state that they are victims of such a situation at their workplace.
Psychiatrist Laura Villamil explains that workplace bullying, characterized by psychological abuse by a company, boss, or colleague, leads to deterioration in mental and/or physical health and “alters work performance”.
“Any behavior by a boss or co-worker designed to damage self-esteem or discredit job performance is considered workplace harassment. According to the book Happiness at Work, During our lifetime, we spend about 90,000 hours at work, so it is very important to be calm in our jobs,” Villamil explained.
He also warned that in many cases, the harassment is not visible because the victim expresses fear of losing their job. “The effects of workplace bullying can be severe and last for many years.”The wear and tear caused by the feeling of harassment can produce symptoms of major depression, generalized anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, even to extremes such as suicide in cases where the victim is constantly intimidated,” he said.
Olga Elena Vallejo, national deputy director of the Department of Psychology of Organizations and Labor at the Colombian College of Psychologists, agrees that this situation can arise among victims of low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, demotivation, and low productivity, among other things.
“Importantly, in uncovering this case, Human Talent Management activates a pathway that allows victims to be so protected.” The law provides jurisdiction for people who dare to report workplace harassment. You cannot be released until six months have elapsed,” he said.
In addition, it recommends that among the members of the organization, there be support for the victim, taking into account that the person’s mental health will be affected.
Felipe Cuadra, co-founder of Rankmi, concluded that organizations ultimately also play a leading role in the generation of societies where jobs or human rights are fundamental: “Their psychological safety, their right to respect, their identity and way of life are decisive factors in this“.
He also asserted that companies have an ethical obligation to intervene in these cases: “Much to the regret of executives, who realize that these things can even be positive“.
“A job that doesn’t care about people, where people feel hurt, where they don’t feel safe, is a job that yields worse outcomes, both in tenure and out of work.” So it’s definitely something we need to look at very carefully”, he added.
