Persisting Menace: A Case-Based Study of Remote Workplace Bullying in India

Area of Science:

• Organizational Behavior
• Occupational Health Psychology
• Human Resource Management

Background:

• Workplace bullying involves frequent, prolonged aggressive behavior causing employee stress and organizational damage.
• The COVID-19 pandemic shifted work to remote environments, altering employee interactions.
• Despite technological mediation, remote employees continue to report workplace harassment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the nature and elements of workplace bullying in remote work environments.
• To understand how traditional bullying manifests in a virtual setting.
• To highlight the significance of addressing remote bullying as work-from-home arrangements persist.

Main Methods:

• A case study approach was employed to explore remote employee bullying.
• Analysis of remote bullying incidents from multiple perspectives was conducted.

Main Results:

• Remote workplace harassment exhibits all the defining elements of traditional workplace bullying.
• The study confirms that bullying behaviors are not eliminated by remote work arrangements.

Conclusions:

• Remote bullying is a significant issue requiring attention, mirroring in-person workplace bullying.
• Further research into the concept and manifestation of remote bullying is crucial.
• Findings have implications for policymakers and organizations in developing remote work policies.