Biz Buzz: Bullies morph into bosses, co-workers. Yikes!

from Jeff May, New-Jersey On-Line

If you thought bullies only exist on playgrounds, think again.

A survey last year by the Workplace Bullying Institute (yes, that’s the name) found 37 percent of workers had crossed paths with a bully at the office, and usually it was the boss.

The nonprofit institute helpfully lists some symptoms of bullied employees: Throwing up the night before the work week starts; using up vacation days for a series of “mental health breaks,” and unexplained spikes in blood pressure.

“If you’re the target, you tend to be in denial because you can’t believe someone would be cruel just for sport,” WBI director Gary Namie told Experience Life magazine in its latest edition.

Hey, if you can’t beat ‘em, avoid ‘em. Here’s the institute’s classification guide to work bullies:

- The Screaming Mimi: Prone to loud outbursts and other intimidation tactics.

- The Constant Critic: A nitpicker who slowly erodes a colleague’s self-confidence.

- The Two-headed Snake: A backstabber who comes across as a “buddy,” then steals credit.

- The Gatekeeper: Hoards information and resources, so employees can’t do their jobs.