Verbal abuse in the workplace extends well beyond New York City, contaminating work environments in all fields of industry and all areas of the nation. According to study after study, workers (and people in general) who experience persistent and severe verbal abuse have a tendency to develop depression, dissociation disorders, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and other psychological conditions. While most types of verbal abuse are fairly recognizable, there are more subtle tactics in the workplace which are not so easy to detect.
Let’s talk about mean remarks and complaints versus constructive criticism in the NYC workplace. Work environments obviously include constructive criticism, which is well warranted; however, when colleagues repeatedly refer to you or your work in terms such as ‘stupid’ or ‘ridiculous’ and belittle you in front of or behind your co-workers’ backs, then the line between constructive criticism and verbal abuse is crossed.
Repeated exposure to verbal abuse in the work environment can create traumatic and long-lasting effects. Sleep disruption, headache, physical ailments, loss of self-esteem and depression have all been associated with verbal abuse in the workplace. Oftentimes, verbal abuse will lead to the abused worker feeling withdrawn or lead to a decrease in communication with others, not only in the workplace, but in everyday life. Due to their loss in self-esteem and ill-perceived notion of value to the company, many times the worker avoids work when possible and the quality of their work suffers, subsequently leading to employment issues and/or concerns.
The problem with verbal abuse is that, although it is the most common form of abuse, it is harder to prove, as the “proof” is not visible or tangible like in other legal cases and many times the abuser maintains an acceptable persona in front of others. Despite this, several cases have been brought before the court and won on grounds of verbal abuse.
Because of rising concerns over verbal abuse in the workplace, New York’s legal community is aggressively fighting against all forms of abuse and harassment. If you believe you have suffered from a hostile work environment secondary to verbal abuse, it is recommended you seek the advice of a legal firm who specializes in employment law.