The media and political figures have paid increased attention to
workplace bullying in recent months and years. A simple Google
search can confirm this reality. Moreover, legislators in 21
states have introduced bills to address and combat workplace
bullying, starting with California in 2003.
Interestingly, none of the legislatures into which these bills
have been introduced have passed the bills into law. There
are a variety of explanations for the fact that there has not been
a change in the law despite workplace bullying becoming a hot
button employment issue, but the most obvious explanation is this:
it is difficult to define workplace bullying.
What Is It, Exactly?
The general definition of workplace bullying is a behavior in
which an individual or group uses persistent, aggressive, or
unreasonable behavior against a coworker or subordinate. As
with childhood bullying, we often think of workplace bullying as
being marked by physical acts, such as
