Along with other health and safety issues and offenses such as sexual harassment or discrimination, workplace bullying has been recognized as one not only a form of harassment, but also as a hazard in the workplace in terms of employee health and safety. Indeed, even lawmakers have come to recognize the legitimacy of the danger inherent in this form of harassment, as can be seen in Australian as well as international legislation. In order to understand the realities of workplace bullying, it is useful to define it by investigating the various manifestations that this offense may take. Workplace bullying can be perpetrated either in a blatant or subtle manner. Subtle bullying is by nature far more damaging than blatant bullying such as name-calling or insulting. As such, subtle bullying is hard to recognize, difficult to stop, and therefore far more significant in the long term. Damage from workplace bullying affects various areas not only of the individual's life, but also the company concerned in terms of revenues and losses. The nature of workplace bullying, its effects, and its mitigation are considered here.
             According to Gurchiek (2005), bullying is the repetition of mistreatment that is non-physical and psychological. Bullying is distinguished from discriminatory harassment. According to the author, those perpetrating the offense are not psychopathic, except in extreme cases. Instead, they tend to be normal human beings who simply let their ambitions dictate their often unethical actions. As such, bullies tend to be opportunistic, attempting to gain rewards such as promotion or other advances in the competitive workplace by victimizing others. As such, they tend to target persons who are new to the work environment, and those who attempt to change the status quo.
             Although Gurchiek suggests that bullying and harassment are not interchangeable terms and should be distinguished, critics also hold that the two ...