Survey: Bullying in the workplace on the rise - Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

We tend to think of bullying as something that happens to kids, but more and more adults say they're being intimidated at work! A survey by the website, Careerbuilder.com found a whopping 35 percent of workers say they've been bullied on the job!  That's up eight points from last year.

Office bullies come in all shapes and sizes -- the boss who explodes at the drop of a dime, the coworker who swipes your ideas, snoops through your emails, and criticizes everything you say. Adult bullying is more common than you'd think and there are things you can do to make it stop.

For many of us, work takes work. It's long hours, constant demands and deadlines to meet. Some employees say they're not just stressed on the job, they're being bullied. That doesn't surprise Clarence Bush.

"It happens every day. It's like high school," said Bush.

Brianna Blue says she was bullied in the military, and it made a high-stakes job much harder.

"Very.  I worked in air traffic control, so it was definitely a high stress environment already, so that just complicated it just that much more," said Blue.

Bosses, coworkers, even clients and customers have acted like bullies.  The website Careerbuilder.com says the most common complaints are being falsely accused of mistakes, ignored, subjected to different standards than coworkers and constantly criticized

Workers also reported being yelled at, belittled, gossiped about, and excluded from meetings. Or, they say, a coworker stole the credit for their work. About half says they confronted their tormentor, and for about 50 percent, things got better. But, of those who went to human resources, 60 percent say nothing was done about their complaint.
   
So, how to you stand down an office bully? First, keep a record of what's happening. Write down dates, times, and details. If you get a nasty email, save it. You may need it to prove your case to HR.

Put the bully on notice. Tell the person how their behavior is affecting your job, and that you want it to stop. They may not even be aware they're acting like a bully.

If you decide to approach a bullying co-worker, wait until you feel calm and confident. That way you're able to say what you want to say without losing your cool. The Workplace Bullying Institute has come up with a list of warning signs you're being bullied at work. Click here to view the list.