Workplace Bullying Is Abuse, Not a Workplace Expectation
Stop Bully Culture is the only place that shows you how workplace bullying actually works and what to do about it.
How Do I Know If I'm Being Bullied at Work?
This is a question you've probably asked yourself over and over again. It's time you get it answered once and for all.
I Didn't Know How to Stop Workplace Bullying
Workplace bullying is not a misunderstanding. It's not conflict. Workplace bullying is meant to hurt.
Understand the Workplace Bullying You're Facing
How to Respond to Workplace Bullying When Nothing Seems to Work
Twenty years ago, when I was first bullied at work, I had no usable guidance. Every source repeated the same three instructions: document it, report it, or leave. I did all of them. None stopped the bullying. Reporting sometimes intensified it.
So I had to build my own responses — practical, self‑protective moves that didn’t depend on HR, leadership, or the bully changing their behavior. Over time, I found approaches that reduced my exposure, strengthened my boundaries, and cut down the psychological damage that was spilling into the rest of my life.
They weren’t dramatic. They were precise, deliberate shifts in how I communicated, how I structured contact, and how I interrupted the bully’s access to me. They didn’t fix the workplace. They made it survivable.
I Know What It's Like to Experience Workplace Bullying
I taught social work in higher education for more than 20 years and experienced workplace bullying. In total, I had eight bullies—some acting alone and others acting together. What made it even harder was watching coworkers stand by, join in, or do nothing to help.
I did what I was supposed to do. I documented the behavior, gathered evidence of workplace bullying, reported it, and followed all the policies.
It didn't stop.
In many cases, reporting the bullying led to retaliation and more bullying, not less. Instead of getting help, I often found myself facing greater hostility and isolation. Looking back, the advice I was given increased the psychological abuse at work. That caused more trauma because it failed to address the bullying in the workplace.
Trying to Respond to Bullying at Work, but Nothing Seems to Stop It?
Leaders often treat workplace bullying as an individual issue, encouraging the person being bullied to talk to the bully or relying on conflict resolution strategies. Those responses leave the workplace conditions that enable bullying in place, allowing workplace bullying to continue.
The next step isn't more of the same.
“The greatest mistake a toxic workplace can leave you with is believing you’re powerless. The greatest victory is discovering you never were.”
Ready to leave a toxic workplace? Make sure you're prepared for what comes next.
A toxic workplace can leave you feeling trapped, exhausted, and eager to escape. Whether you're being bullied at work or experiencing other forms of workplace abuse, you may be ready to leave.
But leaving without a plan can expose you to unnecessary risks and make it harder to move forward with confidence.
The Career Protection Kit helps you take back control and move from uncertainty to confidence.
This kit helps you make decisions from a position of preparation rather than pressure.
Learn how to protect your interests before resigning, think through important departure decisions, and prepare for your exit more strategically. Gain the knowledge and confidence to evaluate prospective employers, spot warning signs of a toxic workplace, and make more informed decisions about your next opportunity.
It's to leave prepared, protect what matters, and make your next career move with confidence.
Includes:
Before You Quit helps you prepare to leave a toxic work environment while protecting your interests.
Screening for Toxicity helps you recognize warning signs and evaluate prospective employers for toxicity before saying yes to a job offer.
Protect your career. Protect yourself. Choose your next workplace more wisely.
Featured Product
Escaping a Toxic Workplace Is One Thing. Avoiding the Next One Is Another.
The Career Protection Kit helps you prepare for your departure, protect your interests, and evaluate prospective employers before accepting your next opportunity.
Ask Your Workplace Bullying Question to Dr. Jan
Why does workplace bullying receive less public attention? National Bullying Prevention Month raises questions about adults experiencing bullying at work.