Workplace Bullying and the Political Mandate for Change

Workplace bullying isn’t new or uncommon, but it is often ignored. Nearly 50 million U.S. workers have been affected by this silent epidemic, and yet many managers are still quietly looking the other way. 

The pain of workplace bullying isn’t invisible. It physically manifests as frailty, cancer, broken marriages, and lost earning potential. It’s tangible. It’s real. And, as Dr. Candia-Bailey and others have reminded us, it can be life-threatening.

This toll doesn’t just weigh on the individual—it ripples through families, workplaces, and entire communities. It also disproportionately affects those who are already marginalized, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with disabilities. In this context, workplace bullying contributes to a broader pattern of exploitation and inequity that policymakers have yet to address.

With progressive leaders championing causes like a higher minimum wage, paid family leave, and expanded healthcare access, workplace bullying must enter the conversation as a key factor undermining worker well-being and economic equity. After all, if the government can regulate wages, benefits, and safety standards, why shouldn’t psychological safety be part of the equation?

Legislative Solutions: The Workplace Psychological Safety Act

One way to address this issue head-on is through legislation like the Workplace Psychological Safety Act. This act would provide critical protections for employees, holding employers accountable for fostering environments free from bullying, harassment, and intimidation. It’s an opportunity for lawmakers to prioritize workers’ health and economic stability in tandem.

Here’s how organizations and individuals can join the fight for systemic change:

1. Sign the Petition for the Workplace Psychological Safety Act

Add your voice to the growing call for comprehensive workplace protections. This petition urges legislators to take action, ensuring that bullying is no longer dismissed as an interpersonal issue but treated as a systemic problem with real consequences.

2. Take the Workplace Psychological Safety Pledge

Employers who commit to the pledge demonstrate leadership in creating safe, equitable environments. In today’s political climate, such public commitments resonate not just with employees but with socially conscious consumers.

3. Endorse the Act as an Organization

Advocacy groups, unions, and social justice organizations can endorse the Workplace Psychological Safety Act to show solidarity with workers and amplify the push for legislative change.

The Economic Toll of Workplace Bullying

Beyond the financial devastation that harms workplace bullying victims, businesses are losing billions through lost productivity, reduced engagement, and the costly cycle of hiring and retraining new workers. Further, they are exposed to workers compensation claims, reputation-destroying QuitToks, and harassment suits that go straight to the bottom line. In addition, plaintiff-side employment attorneys are pursuing contract violations when employers willfully ignore their own policies pertaining to workplace misconduct investigations and shareholders are going after public boards when they know about abuse but only act after press coverage has decimated stock values. And let’s not forget, the juries who often decide these types of cases are rarely made up of billionaire CEOS, but they are often made up of working-class individuals who have also faced workplace abuses of their own.

Silence Is Expensive, and Action Is Overdue

Workplace bullying isn’t just a silent epidemic—it’s a symptom of larger systemic issues in our economy and political structures that warrant everyone’s attention. It’s also a critical moral imperative: no one should fear going to work.

As the nation grapples with economic uncertainty and growing calls for accountability, supporting initiatives to end workplace bullying isn’t just good for business—it’s a principled and political necessity. And as debates around labor protections, unionization, and workplace equity grow louder, addressing bullying must be part of the broader political agenda.

By addressing workplace abuses through legislative changes, we can create a future where workers are respected and protected while building system that prioritizes dignity, fairness, and safety for us all.

The Splinter editorial staff was not involved in the creation of this content.