Been bullied on Zoom? Here are the signs.

Workplace bullying didn’t just end when workers left the office.

For employees stuck in an uncomfortable situation in the physical office, the pandemic has been a breath of fresh air — a place where they could escape odd interactions at work and live virtually through Zoom and other remote working applications.

But bullying and harassment have continued remotely through the pandemic — and workers probably may not even be aware of it.

Whether it’s a snide comment about your Zoom background or an unruly manager stepping all over you on Slack, workplace harassment has evolved into a new beast, one that is camouflaged compared to in-office altercations.

Rubin Thomlinson, a Canadian law firm, recently argued that bullies of the workforce have found a new medium in video conferencing and chat applications. The examples of how comments can be perceived as harassment will make every worker think twice before their next video conference call.

Zoom backgrounds and other comments

There was a time during the pandemic when workers were scuffling to make their homes appear work-appropriate. Not everyone was on the same playing field; space is limited for workers living in cities, and often make-shift working arrangements were the best workers could salvage to make their homes look more office-like.

Zoom has enabled workers to peek into the personal lives of their colleagues, which has brought on several instances that can be categorized as a form of workplace bullying and harassment.

Other examples aren’t as obvious:

• Commenting on a co-worker’s partner who appeared in the background of a Zoom call.
• Making inappropriate comments about a colleague’s home while on Zoom.
• Making lewd comments, sharing inappropriate videos during a conference call.
• Speaking over colleagues repeatedly out of turn.

Your manager could be bullying you

Tired of your boss getting in the way of you getting your work done in the office? They’ve probably also done this while you’re working from home.

Since remote work has become so private, it requires trust between employee and manager to make sure everything gets done. Workers have been subjected to little prods during the day — or check-ins — that can be interpreted as a form of bullying, the report said.

Two prominent examples:

• Managers that send employees messages to check whether employees are active and working is a new way of how workplace bullying and harassment have transformed.
• Additionally, managers who require employees to attend “check-in” meetings throughout the day can also be interpreted as harassment, since these meetings are often pointless and may even hurt overall productivity.

Why work-from-home bullying is a major problem

Remote work has essentially eliminated witnesses to workplace bullying due to how private work encounters have become, and in turn, can really harm the overwell being of an employee, especially at home.

“When work and workplace harassment enter one’s home — that sanctuary no longer provides the respite that it once did,” the report said. “The home is no longer the castle providing escape and a measure of insulation from difficulties at the workplace. The lines become blurred and the toll on one’s mental health can be significant.”

Companies can address remote bullying by reminding employees that office conduct is extended to remote locales. They can even adopt new guidelines based on how prevalent remote work has become.