Does workplace bullying fall under current workplace violence protections?
Technically bullying is a form of violence — certainly verbal, but non-physical. One of our preferred synonyms for workplace bullying is “psychological violence.” However, violence policies and laws always focus on the acts and threats of physical violence — striking someone (battery), or threatening someone so that they fear being physically hurt (assault). The one exception is the inclusion of verbal abuse in violence policies. So bullying is verbal and not physical and is legal.
Technically, bullying is a form of violence — certainly verbal, but non-physical. One of our preferred synonyms for workplace bullying is “psychological violence.” However, violence policies and laws always focus on the acts and threats of physical violence — striking someone (battery), or threatening someone so that they fear being physically hurt (assault). The one exception is the inclusion of verbal abuse in violence policies. So bullying that is verbal, but not physical, is completely legal.
