How common is workplace mobbing - informal and formal?

31 Comments

1. AnonymousJuly 22,2023 at 6:07PM UTC

   I've never heard of this terminology but the behavior is definitely very prevalent, especially in the tech industry. The mobbing and collusion are designed to give the appearance that the target employee is the problem while everyone else is in harmony. I've often seen this used in biased situations.

2. AnonymousJuly 24,2023 at 1:44PM UTC

   I work in corporate legal and it’s called workplace bullying or harassment. It happens in all departments and fields not just one specific. You see it with doctor, teachers, in banking/finance, EVERYWHERE

   Workplace mobbing is a newer (but not new) term. Is the OP looking for advice, venting or trying to get this newer term to be known and catch on.

   workplace bullying is not just common but it’s hard to address because it can be hard to prove and typically does not cross a legal line and bullying is not written into most company manuals.

3. sayantika mukherjeeJuly 22,2023 at 6:41PM UTC

   I am interested to learn about Workplace mobbing. Can you explain what you mean by that?

4. AnonymousJuly 22,2023 at 7:42PM UTC

   I have never heard this term before, but it’s a great way to describe what I have been experiencing at work with two co-workers. I finally went to HR this week after I met twice with my immediate supervisor who ignored me. My co-workers mobbing has gotten so bad I have migraines every day and anxiety attacks.

5. AnonymousJuly 22,2023 at 8:23PM UTC

   What, exactly, is the mobbing behavior?

6. AnonymousJuly 22,2023 at 10:51PM UTC

   It's accepted by leadership and management and part of the culture.

   HR upholds whatever behavior supports the culture.

7. AnonymousJuly 23,2023 at 12:20AM UTC

   How do YOU suggest this be handled?

8. AnonymousJuly 23,2023 at 11:24AM UTC

   Mobbing??? Such an uncommon workplace verbiage. What is your end goal and what are you trying to get addressed? Covert operation? The above is very unclear and could be misconstrued in many directions.

9. AnonymousJuly 24,2023 at 3:01PM UTC

   Reading the responses of others (including linked articles) should clarify for you.

10. AnonymousJuly 23,2023 at 12:01PM UTC

    For those who have never heard of workplace mobbing, take a moment to Google it. You will find research that supports this issue. Employment attorneys are starting to become versed on it as well because it is a form of workplace harassment that often accompanies bias and discrimination.

11. AnonymousJuly 23,2023 at 12:06PM UTC

    Extremely hard if not impossible to prove.

12. AnonymousJuly 23,2023 at 12:08PM UTC

    Actually it's not hard to prove at all. It does require very conscientious documentation and timelines. There is a lot of research on this issue which the federal government looks at as part of bullying. Here's a great article that breaks down not only what it is, but the stages of it as well. Having endured this before, it was almost textbook the way it played out. https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/behavior/are-you-suffering-from-workplace-mobbing-heres-how-to-handle-it/

13. AnonymousJuly 23,2023 at 2:33PM UTC

    A a few references on workplace mobbing or similar acts of behaviors that seem to be more common in the workplace that needs awareness:

    https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cases-malicious-complaints-linda-crockett/

    I never heard of the term workplace mobbing until I read this:

    https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7085221501141962752?updateEntityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_feedUpdate%3A%28V2%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7085221501141962752%29

    https://narcopath.info/about-npd/the-narcissists-players/flying-monkeys/

14. AnonymousJuly 23,2023 at 4:06PM UTC

    OMG - the article describing flying monkeys is so spot on! I used to work for a narcopath manager who brought her two "flying monkeys" along when she was hired. If the three of them had spent a fraction of the time they spent smearing me on actually doing their jobs, the massive project they failed to deliver might have actually succeeded, the manager would probably still have her job and the company wouldn't have lost millions of dollars (which resulted in massive layoffs throughout the company).

    Unfortunately these people are usually masters of office politics and CYA methods, so it's honestly better to get out than try and beat them at their game.

15. Debbie ReynoldsJuly 24,2023 at 2:50PM UTC

    Flying monkeys is a perfect analogy for workplace mobsters.

16. AnonymousJuly 23,2023 at 5:10PM UTC

    It's tough because HR/PoPs is supposed to be neutral but this mobbing tends to tip heavily into areas that can often be unmanageable. You have to disperse the mob find out who the ring leader is and then assure that the method of communication is firmly broken. Address it head on and acknowledge it for what it is openly. It does not belong in the workplace at all.

17. AnonymousJuly 24,2023 at 11:25AM UTC

    I'm not certain this is even a thing.

18. AnonymousJuly 24,2023 at 1:16PM UTC

    It is a thing. Mobbing happens - my wife was subjected to it by her boss and others in the team. Boss refused to discuss issues in private - forcing my wife to raise them in team meetings and then Boss sat back while other people took it in turns to berate her or tell her how she was wrong - that plus generally aggressive colleagues and a gaslighting boss, with an HR department who talked her out of raising greivances left my wife traumatised and ill. She was off work for nearly a year - eventually got another job with a completely different employer.

19. AnonymousJuly 24,2023 at 3:28PM UTC

    this is not uncommon, I have seen mobbing in two neighborhoods I have lived in.

20. AnonymousJuly 26,2023 at 1:48AM UTC

    You are so lucky! I hope it never happens to you…

21. AnonymousJuly 24,2023 at 12:29PM UTC

    I don't know if this is that common, or at the very least if it's been proven all that often. It's not clear if you're asking as an HR professional asking for advice or from some other perspective. I'm guessing if it does happen, if the policies referenced are valid HR probably doesn't do anything to stop it unless the victim threatens legal action and has evidence to support their case.

22. GirlBossanova934974July 24,2023 at 12:46PM UTC

    It appears you have simply renamed something that has been known for decades as "dirty office politic" and called it "informal workplace mobbing". HR and Senior Management has known for decades how to deal with "dirty office politics". As casual as it sounds, you have to be extremely vigilant that you do not promote such people in managerial roles or better yet, hire them in the first place! That is probably one of the most important objectives of your hiring process. You have to make sure you keep out these types! And once they get a root in your company, they tend to spread like a bad cancer. One hires the next one. Before you know it, you have a bunch of unscheduled closed door meetings with all sorts of gossip and non value added things being done. Finger pointing and such becomes rampant. As a manager, you have no choice when you see or hear such behaviors. You nip it in the bud. You make sure these sorts of folks never get promoted or you get them transferred out of your organization.

23. AnonymousJuly 24,2023 at 2:38PM UTC

    This is a thing. I worked at a multinational organization, well respected. I was hired with a few other hires. They had recently restructured their management when I wash hired, so the middle manager who hired me was new to the company. Within 3 months, the middle manager who hired me was let go. The other middle manager who had been hired at the same time as the one let go, was put in charge of the department. However, the sales reps who had worked at the company for years hated this middle manager due to his reputation outside the company. So they actually held meetings to strategize how to get this guy to quit. They sabotaged, undermined, and mentally abused him until he left with severe depression. How did I know this? Well, when this guy left, one of the sales reps who was part of the mobbing group was promoted and he became my new manager. He liked me and talked me up. Due to his support, I became friends with this girlfriend who was one of the sales reps in the mobbing group. She admitted to me all the planning, sabotage, and abuse they all did, including my manager, to get rid of this guy. In fact, many of the people who were hired with me were let go too because this group did not like them either. I was astonished that this was happening and that my manager was one of them. They would still meet (this group) from time and time and plan "attacks" on anyone they didn't want to work with. Eventually, the manager and his girlfriend split up, and she was ganged up on. She quit and tried to sue the company, but it never came to anything. When I was let go, I wondered myself if I was part of the mobbing plan because the specialist I worked with was such a jerk to me and he was in the group. So, work place mobbing happens. Don't kid yourself.

24. AnonymousJuly 25,2023 at 12:50AM UTC

    This happened to me, as a manager. I didnt see it coming, the people ganging up were acting like my friend to my face, they were part of the team. I supported them over and over, even when others were kicking them down i supported them. One girl I even hired her when we worked together before she was being kicked when she first got there, I stood behind her and supported her. She was the first one to throw me under the bus. To this day I cannot look at her when i have seen her. Being in my position i was doing my job, they just didnt like me because they didnt like that they were being held accountable for not doing theirs. In the end I got moved and when i got moved the old manager talked about me to my new team with no real knowledge other than hearsay. I managed to stand my ground, grow from the experience, learn who my friends are and are not and never treat someone as a fellow manager just because they have a title. Now I am in a place where I thrive. The new manager that took my place got moved after a while as well, and the girl who was what I thought a friend is still dumb and clueless to this day after she was moved twice. I can only say that being ganged up on is horrible and people who think at work you have "friends" are fooling yourselves. Work is work, you are a manager remember how you say things because people will turn your words around. Document everything and keep track of everything. Don't go into and office and close the door if there is drama nip it. Its not a job where you will win a popularity contest and if someone thinks that you are, you are in for a surprise. I believed my "management" team had my back, trust me no matter how much you wish you were friends, you are not. It took me a while once I started listening and paying attention who was the one starting the problem. Turned out he did it in 10 other offices prior to getting to me, and no one warned me. It was the worse time of my life that people who dont want to be held accountable would do something to someone just because of how "they" feel. No proof, no facts, just "feeling" that was all dreamed up. He saw I stood my ground and I stood mine to the point where he stopped coming in and left. Its hard for those being bullied in every job, stay strong, don't back down,

25. AnonymousJuly 25,2023 at 6:14PM UTC

    Thanks for sharing your story and standing your ground. Given the responses in this thread to the original question, there is more work or understanding of workplace mobbing that HR needs to be aware. I have heard at least two recent incidents where multinationals removed an employee after another employee just complained to HR with a "feeling" with corroborators. In both cases, HR just ignored the facts and sided with the complainer - who was the true cancer in the situation.

26. AnonymousJuly 29,2023 at 10:06PM UTC

    As someone who was subject to mobbing, as this poster said, DO NOT have closed door meetings with the bully. That's exactly what they want-- no witnesses. My awful former boss would schedule one on one meetings on Teams or when we were in person, just come into my cubicle but would never ever ask to meet with other staffers or managers present. Their purpose is to isolate you from everyone and never have witnesses so it's your word against their's knowing full well 95% of the time leadership with side with them.

    Oh, and watch out for the bully and their minions cozying up to HR. It's on purpose.

27. AnonymousJuly 24,2023 at 2:57PM UTC

    I, unfortunately, have had the experience of mobbing. It was heinous and unjust.

    Many national companies' HR departments are out of touch at their local levels and always lean against the leadership. Virtually impossible to prove or get to the other side unless you leave. It's not worth your health and mental health to stay.

28. Elizabyth HarringtonJuly 24,2023 at 11:50PM UTC

    I haven’t figured that out. It seems to go hand-in-hand with mediocre and/or insecure coworkers who feel threatened by people who have more (fill in the blank) or do (fill in the blank) better than them. These mobsters tend to use office politics to get ahead instead of actually learning how to do their jobs. The ganging up allows them to craft a compelling story so that HR sides with the bully (and their monkeys) over the victim. How to avoid being targeted? Don’t be “too” good at your job?

29. AnonymousJuly 25,2023 at 7:52PM UTC

    I've heard this called "managing out". I had a boss try to do this to me but backfired on him. I documented everything for several months including things he unwisely said to me in front of others and things he said in private about other coworkers (including racist comments), possibly trying to bait me into saying something inappropriate. Then I took my concerns to his boss, and he found it appalling and took to HR. I was great at my job, and he was blocking my growth and making my life miserable on purpose and I wasn't having it. Fortunately, it turned out ok for me but I know it doesn't work out for everyone. If that's happening to you, I'm really sorry.

30. AnonymousJuly 26,2023 at 1:43AM UTC

    This is absolutely 100% a thing. I have watched it happen so many times as part of a global Fortune 50 company that prides itself on people and career development. Happened to me after 20+ years of stellar performance reviews. A few players who are not great performers but strong voices band together and target the strongest performer. Get the manager on board (who is also a mediocre performer) and all of the sudden you can’t do anything right, your role is narrowed, job responsibilities taken away, and they use company systems against you. You get negative reviews, bad ratings, small raises. When HR comes in, they tell you you have a “bad attitude”, they don’t like your “tone”, you don’t have a “growth mindset” your “leadership skills” are lacking. All while the people who are pushing you down are getting plum leadership opportunities & high visibility assignments. The sad part is that the poorer performers are left and the high performers, who are good collaborators and team players are pushed out. I fought the “good fight” and “won” in that I got an early retirement severance package, but it came at the expense of my physical and mental health. Making bank now as a consultant, glad I don’t have to ever talk to those people again. Hire an employment lawyer and document the heck out of everything. HR knows exactly what is going on but chooses not to engage so watch your interactions with them and know who you can trust.

31. AnonymousJuly 29,2023 at 9:52PM UTC

    It happened to me. I was a top performer with a mediocre boss. When I was first hired, I was treated very well and my manager said they knew I was the best person for the job from day one and they were thrilled to have me. Then they hired my boss who had friends in high places. She turned on me within months. Fast forward two years, she teamed up with HR to mob me and turned the manager who was once thrilled to have me on board against me. And yes, as the poster stated above, HR more or less said I had a bad attitude and had to show my boss more respect. He stopped talking to me and she started pulling resources and cutting me out of meetings and events. I pushed back hard but got nowhere. I left before it got worse. I was pretty sure it was a set up for constructive discharge. My former supervisor has since been promoted. No surprise there. I think what drove it all is that she had been hired to move up the ranks fast and she thought I was in her way. I'm sure she'll cut a few throats and will be leading the whole section within a year or two.