Workplace bullying in a German representative sample of employees: a cross-sectional analysis

Workplace bullying (WB) is linked to a variety of detrimental health outcomes among affected individuals, while also imposing negative organizational consequences on the businesses involved. The objective of the present study was to update prevalences of WB and to investigate associations with WB distinguished by the source of bullying (from co-workers, supervisors, or both) in a representative sample of employees in Germany.

The study is based on a representative cross-sectional telephone survey comprising a sample of N = 5,015 employed adults. WB was defined as cases in which respondents indicated that they had experienced unfair criticism, harassment, or public humiliation by co-workers and/or supervisors on a weekly basis over the previous six months. To identify associations of WB, multivariable logistic regression analyses were run, distinguished by the source of bullying.

The prevalence of WB was 6.5% overall, with 4.4% reporting WB by co-workers and 3.5% reporting WB by supervisors. WB decreased with age, with the highest prevalence among young adults aged 18 to 29 years (11.5%). Individuals in an apprentice status (12.3%), or those working in blue-collar jobs (10.2%) showed the highest prevalence for WB. In multivariable analyses, only age was significantly associated with WB across all sources of WB showing a higher vulnerability for younger employees. WB by co-workers and WB by supervisors were strongly linked.

One in fifteen employed individuals experiences WB in Germany. Young age was the most consistent factor associated with WB. Partial associations of some variables (gender, region, professional status) highlight the context-dependent nature of WB. Furthermore, the strong link between WB by co-workers and WB by supervisors underscores the systemic nature of this work phenomenon. Implementing preventive strategies that specifically address WB is needed to sustain employee health.