Across South Africa, many employees dread going to work because of corporate bullying.
Corporate bullying is repeated abuse of power directed at individuals or groups within a workplace characterised by behaviour that impairs dignity and creates a hostile environment. It often manifests in various ways, including isolation, victimisation and harassment such as verbal abuse, passive – aggressive behaviour, cyberbullying, psychological and physical bullying.
As part of its initiatives, the South African Institute of Employee Relations Professionals (SAIERP) is addressing the widespread issue of bullying in the workplace. Established in 2025, SAIERP is a premier professional body dedicated to addressing the pressing need for regulation and professionalisation within the field of employee relations.
Corporate bullying is a critical employee relations issue.
Lwandile Hasheni, the Executive Chairman of SAIERP, explains that the organisation aims to establish high standards, promote ethical practices and foster continuous development among employee relations professionals because effective employee relations are vital to organisational success and the well-being of employees.
By providing a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and collaboration, SAIERP seeks to elevate the status and credibility of employee relations practitioners while promoting a culture of fairness, productivity, and positive labour relations within South African industries.
Taking professional, effective and sustainable steps to address corporate bullying is necessary to promote positive labour relations and psychological safety in the workplace. Hasheni says there are various reasons why some managers bully their subordinates, with most of it being attributed to power abuse and professional jealousy.
“Every measure should be taken to deal with harassment in the work environment because it negatively impacts both employers and employees,” he adds. “Corporate bullying leads to a drop in productivity, a stifling of organisational culture and unavoidable toxicity in the workplace. It can also lead to less engaged and despondent employees as well as high staff turnover. In the long term, the company’s bottom line is affected and productivity declines detrimentally, which has an overall negative impact on the organisation.”
Hasheni continues by saying critically important action an employee who is being bullied can take is to remember to always keep some form of evidence. “Ideally, a victim of this scary scourge must make sure to diarise everything that happens to them,” says Hasheni. “They should collate evidence to ensure the perpetrator is exposed.”
He says corporate bullying in the workplace is a very tricky issue to handle because by and large, the perpetrators are top management members of staff. He adds that every organisation should have a designated committee dealing exclusively with corporate bullying. It’s also important to check if there is an anti-bullying policy that would guide the employee on internal procedures.
Hasheni advises that if you’re being bullied, you mustn’t just keep quiet but report the behaviour. “It’s vital to seek support by talking to someone you can trust,” he says. “Know your rights and persist in legal protection.”
Hasheni goes on to say that the biggest challenge is practically all the above is impossible in some organisations, especially if bullying is part of the organisational culture. In cases like these, all perpetrators are simply protected, and victims choose to keep quiet. To address this, SAIERP is reactivating its Corporate Bullying Hotline. Those being bullied in their workplace can contact the hotline anonymously to protect their identity and ensure they are shielded against any form of victimisation and harassment. A case is then registered and investigated further to verify the allegations. SAIERP then prepares a comprehensive report and approaches the reported company to ensure the perpetrator is compelled to take accountability for their actions.
It’s critical that corporate bullying is addressed, so employees can uphold their right not to be relentlessly troubled at work, which enables them to perform at their best and protect their dignity and in turn enhance the overall performance of a company.
If you want assistance on dealing with bullying in your workplace, email: [email protected]
Issued by:
Thandiwe McCloy
Public Relations Lead – Papasha Media
Email: [email protected]
Number: 083 696 6597
About the South African Institute of Employee Relations Professionals
The South African Institute of Employee Relations Professionals (SAIERP) is a premier professional body dedicated to addressing the pressing need for regulation and professionalisation within the field of employee relations.
With the recognition that effective employee relations are vital to the success of organisations and the well-being of employees, SAIERP aims to establish high standards, promote ethical practices, and foster continuous development among employee relations professionals.