Employee Rights and Employment Policy Journal

In this article, we present the latest findings in the area of workplace bullying and the closely related research on workplace aggression. We build the case for workplace bullying as a serious and costly health and safety issue by demonstrating that these behaviors are ubiquitous in work settings, involve individuals at all levels of the organizational hierarch, affect the well-being of employees and may adversely impact the efficiency and effectiveness of work groups and the entire organization. We then discuss the problem of under-reporting instances of workplace bullying and the absence of formal organizational reporting processes and practices that contribute to organizational "blindness" to the scope and impact of the problem. Finally, we conclude with a detailed description of the Workplace Stress and Aggression Project in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which illustrates a promising new approach for the prevention, and management of workplace aggression and bullying.