The Bully at Work: What You Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity on the Job [Paperback]

Gary Namie Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2000

The high profile experts on workplace bullying have now completely updated and revised their classic book.

A landmark book that blazed light on one of the business world's dirtiest secrets, The Bully at Work exposed the destructive, silent epidemic of workplace bullying that devastates the lives, careers, and families of millions. In this completely updated new edition based on an updated survey of workplace issues, the authors explore new grounds of bullying in the 21st century workplace.

Gary and Ruth Namie, pioneers of the Campaign Against Workplace Bullying, teach the reader personal strategies to identify allies, build their confidence, and stand up to the tormentor - or decide when to walk away with their sanity and dignity intact.

The Namies' expertise on workplace bullying has been featured in such media outlets as The Early Show, CBS Radio, The Howard Stern Show, CNN, PBS, NPR, USA Today, and the Washington Post.

"Sheds light on one of the business world's dirtiest secrets - corporate bullying." -Dayton Business Journal

"Filled with remedies for an ailment that is ravaging workplaces..." -Harvey A. Hornstein, PhD

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bullies on the job can cause irreparable harm to their colleagues, contend the authors, founders of the Campaign Against Workplace Bullying. While violent or vengeful workers occasionally make the news, there are insidious bullies in nearly every workplace, whether co-worker, boss or junior colleague. Their behavior causes other people to suffer shame, humiliation and fearAall of which can affect their nonwork life as well as their job performance. The Namies recommend that "targets" act quickly to dismantle a bullying dynamic once they recognize it, and they also urge government and judicial recognition that "bullying" is an endemic workplace issue that deserves to be taken seriously. The last 100 pages of the book are the most useful; one chapter, "Control Destructive Mind Games," analyzes how people let their emotions color their actions. Subsequent chapters offer concrete strategies that "targets" can take to alleviate their workplace distress (including using humor to deflect a bully's tactics and finding support among colleagues and friends). Overall, this volume presents an intriguing concept that is rarely given such detailed analysis. However, the notion of "bullying" as a crime seems farfetched; the book would be even more effective if it focused on interpersonal skills and tools that could be used to fight back, rather than on trying to initiate change in public policy. (July)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Because bullying has been identified as a contributing factor in the epidemic of violence in schools, teachers and counselors are being trained in methods for dealing with bullies. Unfortunately, many bullies do not stop their disruptive, hurtful behavior after they leave school and get jobs; they often just become more subtle. Few people, though, acknowledge that workplace bullying is or can be a real problem. The Namies, both psychologists, are out to change that. In 1998 they launched the Campaign against Workplace Bullying. Calling those who experience bullying "targets" rather than "victims," they have counseled nearly 3,000 such targets. They define what bullying is, show why it is harmful, and attempt to explain why it occurs. They describe efforts in Europe to prevent bullying, where the problem is taken more seriously, and they decry the lack of substantive legal recourse here in the U.S. The authors provide techniques and tactics for bully-proofing oneself and show how targets, once sufficiently prepared emotionally, can move on to "bully-busting" and "tyrant-toppling." David Rouse
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc. (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570715343
• ISBN-13: 978-1570715341
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #375,142 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Gary Namie, social psychologist, is widely regarded as North America's foremost authority on Workplace Bullying. He directs the Workplace Bullying Institute that produced the most-cited scientific survey; co-authored 3 books with Dr. Ruth Namie -- The Bully-Free Workplace: Stop Jerks, Weasels & Snakes from Killing Your Organization (Wiley, 2011); The Bully At Work: What You Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity on the Job (Sourcebooks, 2009, 2nd ed.);and BullyProof Yourself At Work (DoubleDoc, 1999); he directs the national Healthy Workplace Bill legislative campaign; is member of the Board, International Association on Workplace Bullying and Harassment; and has appeared in over 950 media interviews as evangelist for the U.S. movement.

He's a "Recovering Academic," having taught at several universities and colleges in psychology and management. He grows more practical one day at a time. He's a "Reformed Management Consulting." After both inhouse and outhouse consultant work pushing management's agenda, he developed a distaste for unethically shoving unnecessary training and useless information down the gullets of non-supervisory staff.

Now the only consulting he does is as President of Work Doctor specializing in the prevention and correction of workplace bullying, aka, abusive work environments created by on-site abusers.

His speeches have been deemed "electric" by conference and event hosts. He challenges audiences to grow intolerant of bullying as a routine way of doing business. This threatens bullies, who in turn, like to call Dr. Namie a bully.

However, since launching the anti-bullying movement for the U.S. workplace in mid-1997, his perspective and knowledge are unrivaled.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You're NOT Crazy---This Book Tells You What To DO, June 21, 2003

By 

Imperial Topaz (Marrakesh, Morocco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bully at Work: What You Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity on the Job (Paperback)

I suffered an incident of bullying at work for the past two years. In my case, I got things successfully resolved when one bully left of his own accord, and the other bully was stopped by senior management (I was fired, and senior management rehired me when I went over the bully's head). According to this book, this happens in only seven percent of cases. I feel very lucky. In my case, the only piece of the puzzle that was missing was WHY this happened to me, and this book really helped clarify that for me and bring the whole incident to closure.

I just found this book and read it, and if I had had it during the time all of this was going on, it would have helped me immensely. I experienced all of the behaviors described in this book, and I think the reasons given for the behavior are right on the mark. When my e-mail friends suggested the same reasons (before I read this book), I found them so far-fetched (such as perhaps I was making the bullies look bad through my competence-I said to myself, "They are professional people; surely they are self-confident about their own work.")

This book looks at reasons for bullying, and who become targets for bullying behavior (how and why those targets are chosen). It discusses bullying in other European countries, as well as South Africa, and what progress legally has been made against passing laws against bullying in the workplace. These laws are compared with the legal progress/standing of the target in the United States. The book discusses health ramifications on the target, and all possible actions that can and should or should not be taken personally, and in the workplace.

If I had read this book MUCH sooner (such as when the bullying FIRST started), it would have helped me emotionally. I would have realized MUCH sooner what was happening, and known that I wasn't crazy. I could have fought back sooner, and would have known how, and which strategies to use. I also would have kept detailed records of each bullying incident, and I would have gotten witnesses' statements. In short, if you are even questioning yourself about whether bullying is happening to you, or not, BUY THIS BOOK.

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful!, May 8, 2001

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bully at Work: What You Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity on the Job (Paperback)

While much has been written on the topic of workplace violence, much less attention is paid to a more widespread problem - workplace bullying. Gary and Ruth Namie claim that one in five workers in the U.S. have been targeted by a bullying colleague or, more commonly, a bullying boss. The authors flesh out this claim in The Bully at Work by describing the prevalence of workplace bullying and the corrosive effects that such behavior has upon its targets. But the real value in this book comes from the detailed advice it provides to bullying victims. The Namies tell victims how to cope with the stress and other psychological wounds that bullying can cause, and then unveil a step-by-step action plan. This plan stretches from initial internal measures that victims can take to defend themselves to - employers take careful note - legal recourse. This eminently useful guide elevates the book beyond the reach of self-empowerment literature and into the realm of practical knowledge. As such, we [...] recommend this book to any employee who has been bruised by a workplace bully, and to managers who are - like it or not - responsible for spotting and eliminating bullying behavior.

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As oasis of understanding and comfort, October 17, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Bully at Work: What You Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity on the Job (Paperback)

This book has comforted me more than I can say, and I just wish I'd had it available in the early 90s when I was going through three years of relentless workplace bullying. Even the severe illness and death of one of my close family members did not deter the manager and co-workers who harassed, ridiculed, and humiliated me; they were completely heartless. Because their torment was neither sexual, ethnic, nor religious in nature, I felt I had no recourse but to resign.

At the time of my resignation, I was taking sleeping medication and antidepressants, and being treated for chronic stomach problems. Within a month of leaving, I was off all prescription drugs. Although I had nightmares four or five nights a week for more than a year, and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome, at least I was finally free from the daily abuse. I thank God that I got out before I suffered irreparable harm; my research tells me that some people are no longer able to work after this kind of experience.

My former manager is still at the company, doubtless causing untold grief for another stressed-out employee who is struggling desperately to please her. Tyrants like her must always have a scapegoat; trampling upon other people is what makes them feel superior.

This book reassured me that I am not alone, and that the abuse wasn't my fault. Thank God for the Namies. They have performed an invaluable public service by writing "The Bully at Work." Kudos to them!

I also highly recommend a related book, "Mobbing: Emotional Abuse in the American Workplace" by Noa Davenport, which is available here on Amazon. If you've read this far, you are probably seeking help. Good luck to you, my friend.