Bullying

Are you feeling overwhelmed by a conflict at work? Or do you believe you are being deliberately bullied? Take action, as these situations rarely resolve themselves. Here are some actions you can take:

• Respond promptly and set boundaries.
  Clarify the situation as quickly as possible. Make it clear to the individual in question how you feel about a particular action or statement, and demand that this behaviour stops.
• Seek support.
  Inform a tutor or professor about the incidents. Alternatively, contact one of our official contact and advice services.
  

ETH Zurich is committed to a culture of looking out for each other. All members are encouraged to actively oppose unfair or destructive behaviour. Here are some actions you can take if you observe bullying:

• Voice your concerns.
  Report what you have seen to your tutors or professors.
• Arrange help.
  Direct anyone affected by bullying to the official contact and advice services within ETH Zurich: they will be able to offer support for a fair resolution.

Destructive conflict involves a dispute in which someone’s personal integrity is challenged or damaged, whether directly or indirectly. This type of conflict jeopardises the university’s safe and open working atmosphere. Bullying is a particularly destructive type of conflict where a person is systematically insulted, excluded or discriminated against.

However, mere differences of opinion are part of everyday working life and cannot be considered bullying.

Bullying covers a whole range of systematic, aggressive and discrediting behaviours, often carried out indirectly and over a prolonged period. Typical examples include:

• Personal devaluation and targeted harassment
  such as constantly interrupting, contradicting, or questioning someone.
• Attacks on personal integrity and dignity
  such as embarrassing someone or making them look foolish in front of others, spreading rumours, or slandering someone.
• Social exclusion
  such as demeaning, deliberately ignoring, or excluding someone.
• Unfair working or study conditions
  such as assigning inappropriate tasks (deliberately expecting too much or too little of someone) or selectively withholding or hiding information.
• Psychological or physical attacks
  such as threats, scuffles, or use of violence.

Bullying targets a specific person and is carried out systematically over a prolonged period.

Bullying can have very damaging psychological – and often also physical – effects: strong feelings of insecurity, low self-esteem, withdrawal tendencies, post-traumatic symptoms such as disrupted sleep patterns, lack of concentration, reduced performance, stress, anxiety, and despair, typically accompanied by somatic/physical symptoms such as digestive problems or chronic pain.

In the workplace, bullying often leads to more time spent out of the office, more absences due to illness, and in some cases, extended periods off work due to burnout or depression.