Mean business! - RECLAIMING YOUR POWER

High-performance psychologist Vanessa Vershaw explains how to navigate a complex and challenging workplace situation

- Vanessa Vershaw

If you're a woman, the odds are stacked against you. Research shows you're 30 percent more likely to face workplace bullying and 70 percent of the time, it's from another woman. And yes, it hurts. Psychological studies reveal that being targeted by another woman can have an even more damaging impact on your mental health. But how do you know if it's truly bullying or just someone being nasty?

It's not always obvious and most people don't really understand what female-to-female bullying looks like because it can take many forms, often subtle and hard to pinpoint. It's what makes it hard to navigate.

From classic “mean girl” behaviour and exclusion tactics to mobbing, trolling and outright bullying, it can devastate your mental health and career prospects. So how do you go from feeling powerless to taking control of the situation? Take these actionable steps:

Identify the type of aggression

Is it psychological harassment, emotional abuse, someone being a jerk or bullying? Real bullying isn’t a one-off incident, it’s a pattern of behaviour that occurs repeatedly over time. Researching and recognising the signs to understand what you're dealing with is the first step on the road to resolution.

Assess if you're a target