March 11th 2024.
As we continue to see a rise in returning-to-office trends this year, many American workers are unfortunately being greeted with workplace bullying. This is especially true for those in the Gen Z age group, who have reported experiencing this behavior at a higher rate than other employees. Shockingly, almost 40% of young adults between 18 and 24 have encountered bullying since returning to the office, and 45% have even witnessed what they describe as "creepy" behavior. These findings come from a recent survey by ResumeBuilder.com, which surveyed nearly 600 employees at companies that have shifted to remote work during the pandemic but are now requiring in-office presence at least once a week. The purpose of the survey was to gauge the prevalence of a toxic workplace culture among these employees.
Unfortunately, as companies are gradually transitioning back to in-office work, the issue of workplace bullying is becoming more prominent. According to ResumeBuilder, about 9 in 10 companies plan to mandate a return to the office by the end of the year. And as it turns out, 30% of workers have reported experiencing a toxic work environment since the return-to-office policy was implemented.
Interestingly, both men and women have reported recognizing bullying and creepy behavior at similar rates. However, it seems that Gen Zers are more likely to disclose these incidents. In a statement, ResumeBuilder's Resume and Career Strategist Julia Toothacre shed light on why this may be the case. "I think Gen Z is more aware of what this behavior looks like compared to previous generations," she said. "They are a generation that is self-aware, protective, and well-versed in therapy language." Toothacre also pointed out that while older generations were often told to just deal with these issues and rarely spoke out against the organization, Gen Z is more likely to leave if they are not treated well.
Matt Erhard, managing partner at recruiting firm Summit Search Group, also weighed in on this issue. "It's very possible that other generations are experiencing bullying and toxicity at the same rates as Gen Z professionals, but Gen Z is simply more likely to call it out," he said. "They have a lower tolerance for this type of behavior and are more skeptical of the traditional workplace model."
In related news, Nike has recently announced that they will be increasing the number of in-office work days to four per week and are projecting a full return to the office in the near future. This decision has been met with mixed reactions, especially as the issue of workplace bullying continues to be a concern for many employees. It is clear that as we navigate the return to in-person work, addressing and preventing workplace bullying should be a top priority for companies.
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