What is the impact of workplace bullying on people who’ve been targeted, and how does the way an organisation responds help or hinder the harm they’ve experienced?
What should organisations do to support people affected by workplace bullying, harassment and sexual harm?
Episode 16 of the Life at the Sharp End podcast with trauma-informed care specialist Tanya Hallett is out now, and we touch on all these topics and more.
Workplace bullying is a traumatic experience
It’s long been established in research literature that workplace incivility, bullying and harassment is a traumatic experience for people affected by this unacceptable behaviour. It's self-evident that – at the extreme end of this continuum – any form of sexual harm is particularly traumatising.
Research studies have identified the psychological and physical harm caused by bullying leading to increased risk of cardiovascular disease1, mental health conditions such as depression2 and higher suicidality risk3.
In its 2020 National Inquiry into sexual harassment in Australian workplaces, the Australian Human Rights Commission stated:
The Inquiry found that as well as having a devastating and profound impact on individuals, workplace sexual harassment also undermines workplace productivity and imposes a significant economic cost to Australian society.4
The impact of the organisation’s response
What happens when someone has the courage to stand up and report their experiences is a definitive ‘moment of truth’ for the organisation. Will its response help and protect the person affected, or compound their trauma by failing in its duty of care to provide support?
Some organisation’s failures to respond appropriately add to the harm caused upon people dependent on them for safety and wellbeing - a situation referred to as institutional betrayal5.
In the video clip above, from episode 16 of the podcast, Tanya Hallett accurately describes the situation when someone experiencing the trauma of workplace bullying or harassment is then further let down by the organisation that encourages them to step up and come forward.
Why a trauma-informed approach matters
When leaders in organisations understand what’s involved when workplace bullying and harassment causes trauma, they put themselves on the right path to dealing with the problem effectively.
The risks to the people affected by their experiences — and to the organisation and its reputation — are reduced when appropriate training is used to inform people of the nature, consequences and actions they should take to support colleagues finding themselves in these situations.
Everything from the point of first contact with someone who’s asking for help, through the formal processes of complaint management, investigation, leadership follow-up and action, must be taken from a perspective of understanding how trauma affects people who’ve been exposed to these situations.
What you’ll learn from episode 16
In our discussion in episode 16, Tanya shares her own experiences of what it means to be affected by workplace trauma and how a trauma-affected person might respond to traditional, ill-informed approaches.
We discuss what it means for individuals, leaders and the organisation to become trauma-informed, from disclosure to investigation, HR’s responses to incidents and the steps that follow.
We also talk about the impact of vicarious trauma and how those who help others need to have support themselves.
Who helps the helpers?
This episode is a fascinating and comprehensive exploration of this crucially important issue for leaders, HR practitioners, complaint professionals and Professional Standards Unit team members alike.
Follow clips from episode 16 in Substack Notes
You’ll find clips of key insights from this podcast and discussions about the points raised in my conversation with Tanya Hallett posted as Notes in the Beyond the bullet points substack in the week after this post.
Join in the conversation and add your experiences and thoughts to the discussion in each note, or in the comments and chat.
Listen now and subscribe, wherever you get your podcasts
You can find the show notes to this episode and links to the show on all the major podcast providers from the podcast’s home page at priceperrott.com/podcast
This episode contains mention of sensitive and difficult topics, so you’ll also find links to support resources in the show notes page, if you’re affected by any of the content discussed.
Xu, T. et al. (2019) ‘Workplace bullying and workplace violence as risk factors for cardiovascular disease: a multi-cohort study’, European Heart Journal, 40(14), pp. 1124–1134.
Kivimäki, M. et al. (2003) ‘Workplace bullying and the risk of cardiovascular disease and depression’, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 60(10), pp. 779–783.
Kim, E.S. et al. (2025) ‘Revealing the confluences of workplace bullying, suicidality, and their association with depression’, Scientific Reports, 15(1), p. 6920.
Jenkins, K. (2020) Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces. Sydney, NSW: Australian Human Rights Commission.
Smith, C.P. and Freyd, J.J. (2014) ‘Institutional betrayal’, American Psychologist, 69(6), pp. 575–587.
