African-Americans, who already reportedly suffer higher levels of anxiety in the workplace, also experience higher levels of bullying on the job than their white counterparts, according to a new study.
The study — titled “Workplace Bullying, Perceived Job Stressors, and Psychological Distress: Gender and Race Differences in the Stress Process” — queried more than 2,300 participants. And while it showed that blacks were bullied at a higher rate, about one of every five workers reported being subjected to workplace bullying.
Researchers at Georgia State University in Atlanta defined workplace bullying as being subjected to slurs or jokes about gender or race, being given tasks no one else wants to do, being ignored or not taken seriously and being humiliated in front of others. Bullying, according to the study, can also come from an employee’s manager.
“Those who experience workplace bullying are at increased risk for a variety of adverse health outcomes like anxiety, depression and cardiovascular disease, among others,” said study co-author Kiersten Kummerow. “The results of our study demonstrate why employers and state policymakers should be aware of workplace bullying and the effects it has on individual’s health.”