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Workplace bullying can be subtle or overt, but one thing is always true: it chips away at trust, confidence, and psychological safety. Unlike illegal harassment, bullying is not always tied to a protected characteristic—yet it can be equally harmful, corrosive, and disruptive to team culture. This video scenario provides a clear look at what bullying sounds like in real time, how it impacts employees, and why upstanders play a critical role in maintaining a respectful workplace. Through this example, we help learners understand the differences between everyday frustration and a pattern of intimidating, demeaning, or aggressive behavior, as well as how to course-correct when tensions rise.
In this scene, Anna, a young employee, is reviewing a file when her manager, Justin, approaches her in a visibly frustrated state. Instead of calmly reviewing her summary report, he opens with a harsh accusation: “Anna! This is a disaster.” Anna is startled, not only by his tone but by the intensity of the attack. Justin continues to berate her report as “half-baked” and even “moronic,” which are deeply disrespectful descriptors intended to belittle rather than instruct.
As he escalates his criticism, Justin tells Anna he doesn’t think she’s “cut out for this job” and accuses her of making him “look bad.” Anna immediately absorbs the emotional blow, apologizing and shrinking under the verbal attack. This is a moment many employees silently experience: taking responsibility for a manager’s outburst rather than recognizing the behavior as inappropriate.
Nearby, Justin’s supervisor, Alex, overhears the exchange. He steps in, firmly telling Justin to “back off” and reminding him that teaching—not yelling—is the expectation for leaders. Alex stresses that demeaning an employee won’t produce better results, and that there are more appropriate ways to address performance concerns.
The next day, Justin approaches Anna with a sincere apology. He acknowledges that stress is not an excuse, and invites her to review the report constructively together. His willingness to reflect and repair is a critical step toward rebuilding trust.
This interaction highlights several hallmark elements of bullying—demeaning language, intimidation, humiliation—but also demonstrates how a workplace can respond: through accountability, upstander intervention, and behavior repair.
Despite the stress of the moment, Anna demonstrates resilience and professionalism:
Anna did not escalate Justin’s hostility. Though shaken, she maintained professionalism and did not meet aggression with aggression.
She absorbed the feedback—much of it inappropriate—without contributing to further conflict.
This willingness shows emotional maturity and a desire to improve, despite the earlier unfair treatment.
Anna’s reactions reflect how many employees feel when bullied: rattled, confused, and unsure how to respond—yet still committed to doing their best.
Justin’s behavior in the first interaction checks multiple boxes for workplace bullying:
Insulting or ridiculing the employee (“moronic,” “half-baked”)
Humiliating tone and demeanor
Intimidation (“You’re making me look bad… you might not be cut out for this job”)
Loss of emotional control directed at a subordinate
Misuse of positional power to vent frustration
This type of bullying is not illegal harassment because it isn’t tied to a protected characteristic, but it still damages workplace culture. It can cause employees to shut down, disengage, or fear making mistakes—ultimately lowering performance and morale.
A manager facing performance concerns should:
Emotion-driven reactions erode credibility and trust. If Justin had taken a breath, he could have redirected the conversation calmly.
He could have said: “Anna, there are some issues in this report. Let’s go through them together so you understand what needs to change.”
“Tell me how you approached this section.”
“What information did you use to build this summary?”
Rather than insults, Justin should have offered guidance on how to modify the report and what strong performance looks like.
As he did the next day, a more measured tone and collaborative approach help reinforce growth, not fear.
Alex’s intervention is the turning point. Rather than ignoring the outburst, he addressed it immediately. Upstander behavior can:
Interrupt bullying in real time
Signal to the target that they are not alone
Reinforce behavioral norms for leadership
Prevent escalation toward harassment
Model the kind of culture your organization wants
Upstanders don’t need to deliver long speeches—they need to act, as Alex did by simply saying, “You need to back off… teach, don’t yell.”
This scenario aligns closely with Emtrain’s Preventing Workplace Harassment (PWH) course. One of the core learning points is that our words and actions influence the people around us. Leaders and employees can raise behavioral norms—or lower them. Bullying may not be illegal, but it is harmful, contagious, and a precursor to more serious misconduct, including harassment.
PWH teaches employees how to:
Recognize bullying behaviors
Respond appropriately
Support coworkers as upstanders
Break patterns of disrespect
Maintain a healthy, respectful workplace culture
This video is a practical demonstration of how quickly behavior can slip—and how quickly it can also be corrected when leaders intervene effectively.
Bullying in the workplace is often overlooked because it doesn’t always violate the law—but it violates trust, dignity, and team culture. As this scenario shows, even a single outburst can create emotional harm and diminish psychological safety. However, with upstander intervention, accountability, and intentional repair, teams can restore balance and reinforce healthy norms. This video reminds every employee and manager that respect is a choice we make daily—and that strong cultures are built on how we treat each other in difficult moments.
