Office Bullying on the Rise

Office bullying incidents have grown more frequent in the last year, according to a recent survey from CareerBuilder. While CIOs may not experience the bullying first-hand, there are nasty remarks, shouting matches, heated confrontations, unfair treatment and other patterns of intimidating behavior that can be happening on your watch. While nobody expects a workplace to be a Utopia, bullying is serious and can have lasting repercussions including employees resigning their positions or experiencing health problems, the survey reveals. CIOs also need to keep in mind that their own behavior - even if not intended to come across as hostile - may be perceived that way by subordinates. "Bullying can have a significant impact on both individual and company performance," says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "It's important to cite specific incidents when addressing the situation with the bully, and keep focused on finding a resolution."