Baggage Check: Office Meanies

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Dr. Andrea Bonior dives into the world of psychology.

EVERYONE HAS a "My boss belongs in the zoo" story. But new findings emphasize how seriously bullying can affect the emotional health of workers. Though recent media attention and even legislation have acknowledged the damage done by childhood bullies, there has been less empathy for those who suffer at the workplace. What happens when their tormentors are too old to be given detention?

Formal definitions and policies regarding sexual harassment — and harassment for certain other protected categories — have long been in place at most modern-day offices. But this is not the case for more run-of-the-mill aggression. Those who are targeted because they're too successful, perky or just have the misfortune of wearing the wrong shade of mauve may be forced to endure an emotionally abusive situation without much recourse.

In fact, one report says that general office bullying — everything from continuous incivility to more calculated attempts to make a colleague's life miserable — can sometimes do more damage than sexual harassment, mainly because of the lack of formal avenues in place to protect its victims.

Since many of us spend more than half of our waking hours at work, and even more of us have the equivalent of an oil tanker emotionally invested in our jobs, perhaps it's time more exploration was given to this issue. It's admittedly tough to know where a line should be drawn: When is something just the jerkiness that occasionally goes hand-in-hand with cartons of toner and fluorescent lighting, and when is it emotional abuse? How tough should someone have to be to "make it" in the modern American workplace?

Regardless, this should be a wake-up call to managers everywhere that if they want their office — or restaurant, store or circus big top — to function like a well-oiled machine, they'd best keep their eyes open for grown-ups not playing nice in the sandbox.

Talk back to Dr. Andrea by leaving a comment below. To ask a question for Baggage Check in the Express print edition, e-mail baggage@readexpress.com or submit an anonymous question here.