Mobbing means that a person or group in the workplace is repeatedly bullied, harassed, abused, ostracised, or assigned grievous tasks over a period of time by equal, superior, or subordinate persons and is continuously placed in a position of inferiority over time.

The time factor plays a role in mobbing since it is only defined as mobbing if mobbing acts occur systematically, frequently and repeatedly and over a longer time span. Experts consider mobbing to be taking place when it is occurring once a week over at least six months.

It is pivotal to distinguish mobbing from other conflicts. Mobbing is a specific form of conflict, but most conflicts do not involve mobbing. Mobbing is a very destructive form of conflict that is characterised by lack of respect for the values of the other party, oversteps boundaries, and breaches personal integrity. Unlike conflicts that are dealt with constructively, mobbing does not aim to improve interpersonal conflicts, but rather attempts to exclude the other party. Mobbing often emerges from conflicts that are not dealt with and therefore become firmly established and escalate.

Swedish doctor and psychologist Heinz Leymann explained the term mobbing with a catalogue of 45 mobbing actions that are divided into five areas:

• Attacks on communication
  Self-expression restricted by superiors or colleagues; yelling or loud scolding; constant criticism at work and/or at home; harassment by telephone; oral or written threats; denial of contact through disparaging glances, gestures, or insinuations without this being directly expressed.
• Attacks on social relationships
  Victims are no longer spoken to or are prohibited from speaking to others; transfer to a room far away from colleagues; colleagues are forbidden from talking to victims; acting as though victims are invisible.
• Attacks on social reputation
  Nasty things are said about victims behind their back; rumours are spread about a person and they are made a laughing-stock; a person is suspected of being mentally ill or forced to undergo a psychiatric examination; a disability is made fun of; a person’s gait, voice or gestures are ridiculed; attack on political and religious mind-set; a victim’s private life or nationality is ridiculed; a person is forced to do work that damages their self-confidence; work effort is assessed incorrectly or insultingly; obscene profanities or degrading phrases are shouted; sexual approaches or verbal sexual proposals are made against the victim’s will.
• Attack on the quality of work life and living situation
  The victim is assigned no tasks or tasks that are meaningless, constantly new, or insulting; assigned tasks are well below the victim’s ability or above what they are qualified to do, thus discrediting them.
• Attacks on health
  The victim is forced to do work that damages their health; they are threatened with physical violence or subjected to light violence as a “warning”; physical abuse or acts of sexual violence; harm is caused to the victim at home or in the workplace.

If you feel that you are the victim of mobbing, you must be especially proactive rather than withdrawing. Take unwelcoming and marginalising behaviour in the workplace seriously. Make it clear to those opposing you that you do not accept their behaviour. Get moral and personal support in private and professional environments. If you believe you are being mobbed, we recommend that you record the incidents in a journal: Who did or said what and when? Was there a trigger? Are there witnesses or evidence? Keep any evidence.

If the situation becomes entrenched and you are constantly affected by mobbing actions and there is no prospect of a constructive solution, we recommend that you get advice. If possible, talk to your superiors or the HR person responsible for you, or get advice from someone outside your workplace. If mobbing is in fact occurring in your workplace, your employer has an obligation to do something about it.

If you witness mobbing, talk to the affected person about the incidents. Encourage them to be proactive and resist the attacks. Do not take any action against the will of the person affected. If the allegations of harassment are investigated, you can make yourself available as a witness.

Show moral courage. Don’t laugh at bullying statements and jokes. Say that you don’t find them funny.

Reporting within the company
If possible, get in touch with your superiors first. If you are unable or do not want to do this, you can usually also request support from contact persons in your Human Resources department. Persons in a company have an obligation to take your report seriously and deal with it.

Confidential advice (with no obligation to intervene)
If there are designated in-house representatives in your company, get in touch with them. They will give you confidential advice and support.
Movis AG’s employee counselling service is available as an external place to go for breaches of personal integrity. Report to the counsellors who are responsible for your company or ring +41 848 270 270 (24 hours / 7 days a week).

Victims of mobbing may be under constant and increased stress. Most direct victims suffer from bouts of depression, disturbed concentration and sleep, low self-esteem, feelings of guilt, etc. Performance and motivation certainly decline and absences due to illness increase.

People who have demonstrably mobbed colleagues must expect sanctions from their employer. Depending on the severity of the misconduct, anything from a reprimand to dismissal and an entry in the personnel file should be expected.

People who demonstrably and unjustly accuse colleagues of mobbing to intentionally cause them harm can expect the same sanctions as someone who is guilty of mobbing.

Swiss Code of Obligations (OR), Art. 328: Duty of care
In an employment relationship, employers must respect and protect the character of employees, give appropriate consideration to their health, and ensure that morality is safeguarded.

Federal Labour Act (ArG), Art. 6: Health protection
Employers must take all measures necessary to safeguard and improve health protection and guarantee the physical and psychological health of employees.

Ask which personnel regulations or laws apply in your business. These provide information about company procedures and codes of conduct.

«Brochure: Mobbing und andere Belästigungen – Schutz der persönlichen Integrität am Arbeitsplatz, pub. by SECO»