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Series · Work & Culture

The Adult in the Room

An eight-part series on workplace bullying.

8 parts · 58 min read

Start with Part 1

Contents

  1. Part 1: What Did He Do?The first question everyone asks about a bullied colleague. Four decades of research says it's the wrong one.7 min
  2. Part 2: Nothing HappenedThe most damaging workplace mistreatment is built so that describing it out loud makes you sound unwell.7 min
  3. Part 3: Everyone Saw. Nobody Moved.Ninety-eight targets in a hundred say no colleague ever stepped in. The reason isn't cowardice.6 min
  4. Part 4: He Hits His NumbersWhat an organization does when the person causing the harm is also the person clearing the backlog.7 min
  5. Part 5: We'll Look Into ItIn 1998 the Supreme Court quietly turned the HR complaint process into a liability shield. Almost nobody knows.8 min
  6. Part 6: That Can't Be LegalAmerican employment law does not prohibit cruelty. It prohibits discrimination. Those are not the same thing.8 min
  7. Part 7: Hurt People Hurt PeopleThree in four workplace bullies are being bullied themselves. Four in five targets never pass it on. Both are true.7 min
  8. Part 8: What Was I Supposed to Do?Eight essays spent looking for the adult in the room. There isn't one.8 min