20+ Shocking Workplace Bullying Statistics [2023]

Workplace bullying research summary. Unfortunately, bullying doesn’t always end after escaping the halls of high school. Though many businesses work tirelessly to foster a positive work environment, bullying is still a prevalent issue. We’ve gathered all the latest workplace bullying statistics, and according to our extensive research:

30% of Americans have experienced bullying at work.
At least 48.6 million Americans have experienced being bullied at work.
Workplace bullying has increased by 57% since 2017.
19% of people have witnessed workplace bullying.
49% of employees have been affected by workplace bullying in some way.

For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways: Prevalence | Victims | Bullies | Consequences | Reporting

Prevalence of workplace bullying

Workplace bullying is growing more common despite increased awareness. To learn more about the prevalence of workplace bullying, here are some key statistics:

49% of employees are affected by workplace bullying.

19% of people have seen it happen firsthand, while a concerning 30% have experienced bullying themselves.
66% of employees who are aware of bullying

Despite the majority of employees being aware of bullying in the workplace, just under a third are still being bullied. It’s unclear if the unaware portion is responsible for the bullying.

Workplace bullying victims

Every bullying incident affects the life of a real victim, and the individual effects are nothing to minimize. Here is important information about the typical workplace bullying victim:

Non-management employees are 30% more likely to have been bullied.

52% of those bullied in the workplace are non-management workers, compared to 40% in management.
Women are 38% more likely to be bullied in the workplace.

58% of workplace bullying victims are women, compared to 42% being men.
Female bullies target other women 68% of the time.

Though 69% of workplace bullies are men, they target women 57% of the time. Comparably, women are less likely to bully, but also more likely to bully women as well.

Workplace bullies

Who are workplace bullies? We’ve gathered some essential statistics on the topic to answer that question. (hint: power is key):

65% of workplace bullies are bosses and managers.

Bullying tends to go hand-in-hand with power, and that trend is no different in the workplace. Workplace bosses and managers are over 85% more likely to be bullies than the employees who work under them.
Men are more than 2x as likely to be workplace bullies compared to women.

69% of workplace bullies are men, compared to only 31% women. Unfortunately, both genders tend to bully women as well.
56% of workplace bullying involves gossip or exclusionary behavior of coworkers.

Some people forget to leave high school cliques behind once they become adults, as the same type of gossip and exclusionary behavior can be seen in the workplace.

Consequences of workplace bullying

From higher turnover to decreased workplace morale, bullying can significantly harm employees and businesses. Here are the facts:

57% of employees have cited harassment or misconduct as a reason they left their jobs.

As it turns out, bullying is one of the most common reasons why employees will leave a job, showing just how much it can affect someone’s decision-making.
Bully victims have an average resignation rate of 23%.

Just under one-fourth of bully victims will resign from their jobs, far more than almost any other factor leading to resignation.
20% of all employees have quit due to bullying.

With a resignation rate of 23%, far more employees are being bullied than those who do end up quitting.
Only 5% of workplace bullying incidents are resolved.

With such abysmal numbers, it’s no wonder that so many employees resort to resignation when they experience bullying in the workplace.

Reporting workplace bullying

Workplace bullying is often made worse or cannot be resolved due to a lack of reporting. To learn more about how reporting works, here are some key statistics:

Only 50% of employees report bullying behaviors they experience or witness.

With only half of employees reporting the bullying they experience or witness, taking action against the bullies can be difficult.
40% of bullied employees have reported their bullying for over a year.

While lack of reporting is an issue, inaction is also a huge problem. Just under half of bullied employees have reported their situation to management and other co-workers for a long time, only to be met with silence or broken promises.

Remote workplace bullying

If you thought remote workers were safe from workplace bullying, you’d be wrong. As the popularity of remote work grows, so too has the prevalence of remote work bullying. For instance:

45% of remote workers are bullied at work

Remote workers are actually more likely to experience bullying than their in-person counterparts. This may be partially caused by a lack of accountability in online spaces.
35% of remote workers say they’ve been bullied in front of others during virtual meetings.

Bullying in public virtual meetings is more common than in private, with only 15% of remote workers reporting that they’ve been bullied in private meetings.
23% of remote workers 50 or older have reported an uptick in harassment based on their age.

New, younger employees are more likely to experience physical harassment and discrimination (55.8%), whereas older employees are more likely to experience physiological harassment (38%).

Workplace bullying FAQ

What percentage of people work in a toxic work environment?

22% of workers work in a toxic work environment. If you’re worried about whether or not you might be in one, here are some signs that your workplace may be toxic:
- Lack of Open Communication: Management discourages and dismisses feedback, causing you to avoid expressing your opinions. You may even fear retaliation.
- Micromanagement: Supervisors excessively monitor and control every aspect of your work, eroding trust and autonomy. You may feel like you’re constantly being critiqued in unproductive ways.
- Unhealthy Competition: You feel like you’re pitted against your colleagues in a cutthroat way, making it difficult to collaborate or work as a team.
- Discrimination and Harassment: You may experience discrimination in a toxic work environment based on your gender, race, or other characteristics. Further, this harassment might go unaddressed by management.
- Unrealistic Expectations: You face unattainable workloads and deadlines, leading to burnout and stress.
What percentage of employees have experienced harassment at work?

52% of employees have experienced harassment at work. Harassment at work, which can be based on your gender, sexual orientation, race, age, and many other factors, is surprisingly common. Over half of all employees have experienced harassment of some kind.

Conclusion

With more visibility than ever before, workplace bullying is an issue that can no longer be ignored. 30% of employees have been bullied, while 19% have witnessed bullying with their own eyes. Women and older employees are especially vulnerable.

However, despite raising awareness, half of employees still don’t report bullying. In part, this is because many feel reporting won’t resolve the issue.

To improve the workplace for all employees and reduce turnover for businesses, it’s essential to address workplace bullying. Companies need to take steps to minimize workplace toxicity through accountability and teamwork building.