According to the latest report, there has been a slight increase in the percentage of Poles who have experienced signs of bullying at work in the last six months. A year ago, this was already at a high level of 40%. Recently, inappropriate behavior from superiors, colleagues, or subordinates mainly affected the youngest employees. Participants of the latest study most often complained about being assigned pointless tasks, being gossiped about and having rumors spread about them, receiving contradicting orders, being subjected to comments indicative of jealousy or envy, and experiencing shouting, swearing, and name-calling. The last issue saw a significant decrease compared to the first wave of the study.
The report titled “Bullying in Polish companies. Second edition – 2023 vs 2022,” authored by UCE RESEARCH and the ePsycholodzy.pl platform, indicates that a substantial portion of Poles experienced signs of workplace bullying in the last six months. This was demonstrated by a survey conducted among over a thousand employees. The latest results were compared with data collected a year earlier as part of the first wave of the study. It turned out that the percentage of Poles affected by this issue has increased from 40% to 41.4%.
“The year-on-year increase is small. This suggests that unethical practices in Polish organizations are entrenched. To see positive change in the near future, several areas require changes. Among them are the introduction of institutional mechanisms supporting an ethical workplace, education in the field of business ethics, awareness-raising actions, and public discussion on bullying,” says Alicja Kotłowska, a lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the SWPS University and a labor market researcher.
Agnieszka Czarnecka from Hays believes that in Poland, we are still in the process of learning and stepping out of a management style characteristic for the past era – harsh or authoritarian. The expert’s observations show that many people in managerial positions still need to work on their management skills and adapt their managerial style to the needs of different team members.
“I often hear the statement that in Poland, ethics and business are two separate worlds, with the sole goal of business being profit. However, it’s worth noting that companies are not just money-making machines, but also social structures that are platforms for interpersonal relations. We spend most of the day at work, which in total is 1/3 of our lives, so it is important to create an ethical workplace. The atmosphere, which depends on those relationships and mutual respect, reflects not only on the well-being of employees but also ultimately on the results and reputation of the company,” Kotłowska emphasizes.
The expert from Hays stresses that today we expect more from companies and superiors than in the past. Stress and conflicts can happen to anyone, but they should not be a constant element of work. Especially the direct superior should not be the source of such problems. Employees are aware of this, so there is growing dissent against such actions. They are now more observant and sensitive to any manifestations of injustice, inequality, or lack of workplace culture. This trend is important and necessary for building a business world based on respect and collaboration. Meanwhile, the lecturer from the Faculty of Social Sciences at SWPS University adds that information about the atmosphere in a company is one of the criteria for young people when deciding whether to apply for a position with a given employer.
“Among employees and their managers in Poland, awareness of work culture and mental health issues is steadily growing, as is the understanding of elements that motivate or disrupt work. As a result, superiors are evaluated more severely, and their behaviors that are hurtful or simply demotivating are being recognized. This may be causing the slight but steady increase in the percentage of people experiencing signs of workplace bullying,” states Agnieszka Czarnecka.
The study also shows that the percentage of men who have experienced signs of bullying in the past six months has increased. At the end of 2022, there were 43.5% of such respondents, and a year later – 46.2%. However, the number of women who had this issue remained unchanged – 36%. Michał Murgrabia from the ePsycholodzy.pl platform links this to traditional social norms concerning men.
“Cultural expectations related to strength or independence can make men more likely to hide their experiences of bullying. Additionally, factors such as intensified competition in the workplace or increasing expectations of high performance can lead to an increased risk of bullying among men. Women may be more inclined to share their experiences and seek social support,” says Murgrabia.
Collected data also show that young people are most often dealing with workplace bullying. In 2023, 53.6% of people aged 18-24 indicated that they had experienced some form of bullying. Michał Murgrabia connects this to the fact that young people are often at the initial stages of their professional careers. Competition, changes in the organization structure, and pressure associated with career building can increase the risk of experiencing bullying.
“The lack of professional experience and more hierarchical structure of relationships at work can make young employees more susceptible to negative behaviors from coworkers or superiors. The study also indicates that bullying is most commonly experienced by individuals earning PLN 5000-8999 net per month – about 50% of responses. The smallest percentage appears among respondents with salaries below PLN 2999 – 24.4%, and above PLN 9000 – 36%,” the ePsycholodzy.pl platform expert reports.
In 2023, the TOP5 most common problems in professional relationships identified by the respondents were receiving pointless assignments – 10.3%, being the subject of gossip and rumors – 9.8%, getting contradictory orders – 9.6%, being the victim of jealousy or envy-driven comments – 9%, experiencing shouting, swearing, and name-calling – 8.4%. In 2022, companies where bullying was identified, the latter form of abuse dominated – 13%. Further on the list were receiving pointless assignments – 12.1%, being gossiped about and having rumors spread – 12%, getting contradictory orders – 9.3%, and being subjected to jealousy or envy-driven comments – 8.5%.
“Shouting, swearing, and name-calling seems to be the least sophisticated form of bullying. Many trainings and guidelines are about limiting this type of managers’ behavior towards their subordinates. It’s also relatively easy to record such incidents these days as everyone has a recording device, like a phone,” claims Michał Pajdak from the ePsycholodzy.pl platform.
The expert adds that other research also shows that this form of persuasion is not effective towards employees. People who are aware of their competencies may quit a job if they feel bad there. Organizations are then exposed to the costs of hiring new people. Hence, it is not profitable for a company to have such behaviors occurring within its structures.
“Assigning pointless tasks and providing contradictory orders are often associated with a lack of managerial competencies. The prevalence of pseudo-work and inefficiency in organizing work is unfortunately a big challenge for Polish companies. In this regard, trainings aimed at improving the competencies of managers are crucial. When it comes to other categories, like yelling and gossiping, these practices are associated with social norms and personal culture. In this regard, training alone is not enough. Leadership actions are needed, stemming from the very top, from the management, to promote an ethical organizational culture,” summarizes Alicja Kotłowska from SWPS University.
