The definition of mobbing can be found in the Labour Code. According to it, mobbing means actions or behaviours concerning or directed against an employee, which consist of persistent and long-term harassment or intimidation. Such actions may lead to an underestimation of professional suitability, humiliation, ridicule, isolation of the employee or elimination from the team. <\/p>\n\n
Mobbing can be said to occur when inappropriate behaviour is repeated over a long period of time and negatively affects the employee’s situation. In practice, it can cause a sense of helplessness, loss of self-confidence, deterioration of the atmosphere in the workplace and psychological torment. <\/p>\n\n
Examples of mobbing include, m.in, unjustified criticism, spreading false information, provoking an employee, restricting the ability to express themselves, ridicule, isolating, unjustifiably threatening to lose their job or giving absurd orders. Mobbing also occurs when an employee is constantly overlooked, removed from tasks or overloaded with duties. <\/p>\n\n
Mobbing behaviour can be overt, but also hidden. Passive aggression, blackmail, undermining competence or humiliating attempts to harm an individual can also indicate mobbing. The perpetrator may be an employee’s supervisor, a co-worker or a person acting in a group of employees. <\/p>\n\n
Not every difficult experience at work is mobbing. A one-time quarrel, a conversation with a superior, justified criticism or conflict does not have to meet the conditions for it. The line is crossed when the actions are repetitive, humiliating, intimidating and violate the employee’s rights. <\/p>\n\n
Mobbing should also not be confused with the normal enforcement of employees’ obligations, if it is carried out materially and in accordance with the law. What matters is whether the behaviour was aimed at humiliating, intimidating or weakening the employee’s position. <\/p>\n\n
The types of mobbing depend on the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim. Vertical mobbing occurs when a supervisor abuses his position towards a subordinate. Horizontal mobbing concerns people in similar positions, and incoming mobbing occurs when actions are directed against a superior. <\/p>\n\n
A mobber can use a professional, informational or social advantage, act through control, pressure, blackmail, provoking an employee or an atmosphere of fear. Any person can be a victim of mobbing, including an employee involved or reporting irregularities. <\/p>\n\n
Mobbing negatively affects health, relationships and everyday functioning. The first signs are, m.in, stress, anxiety about work, sleep problems, decreased concentration and lack of professional development prospects. If mental health has deteriorated, anxiety, depression and sick leave may appear. <\/p>\n\n
The consequences of mobbing also affect organizations. It is difficult to determine the true scale of mobbing if employees are afraid to report a problem, but tolerating such behavior increases turnover, lowers morale, spoils the company’s image and can lead to cases before the labor court. <\/p>\n\n
If mobbing is suspected, it is worth systematically collecting evidence. Messages, notes with the dates of events, documents, recordings, witness testimonies, confirmations of reports, a psychologist’s statement or a doctor’s opinion can be helpful. It is important to show how long the actions lasted, what they concerned and what impact they had on the injured person. <\/p>\n\n
Mobbing can be reported to a higher-level superior, HR department, anti-mobbing committee, PIP or assert one’s rights before the labour court. It is the court that assesses whether mobbing has actually occurred, which is why orderly documentation is of great importance. <\/p>\n\n
An employee who has suffered mobbing has the right to claim protection. If mobbing has caused a health disorder, he or she may seek compensation. If he or she has terminated his employment contract due to mobbing, he or she is entitled to compensation not lower than the minimum wage for work. It is also possible to obtain protection under separate regulations, e.g. in the event of a violation of personal rights. <\/p>\n\n
The employer is obliged to counteract mobbing, i.e. not only to react to possible cases of mobbing, but also to prevent them. Clear procedures, anti-mobbing policy, training, safe reporting channels and a fair division of duties help in this. <\/p>\n\n
The organization should also monitor the atmosphere at work, respond to disturbing behavior, and protect people reporting the problem. This makes it easier to reduce mobbing at work and build an environment based on respect. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When does a difficult situation at work become mobbing? Mobbing at work does not mean a one-time conflict or a demanding conversation with a supervisor, but repetitive and long-term behaviour that violates the dignity, mental health and position of the employee in the team. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":36027,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1872],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hr-glossary"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n