The Office Bully

According to a 2007 survey by Zogby International almost half of U.S. workers report being the victim of, or seeing office bullying.

It's important to note that organizations may be particularly vulnerable to such behavior because of the economic downturn. Stress levels are up, people are getting laid off, the work environment is under serious pressure.

Just thinking about the long term effects can be scary.

The cost of an office bully can be astronomical, from lost time to having adverse affects on the company culture.

I was browsing BNET and came across a special report on this exact topic. I particularly like the article about how to handle a workplace bully. It gives a step by step action plan I think is both useful and funny.

It's too early to tell, but I bet many companies who will get out of the economic turmoil unscathed also posses the most solid culture and values. After all, your employees are your biggest asset and happy people deliver better results than angry people.