Workplace bullying and psychological distress of employees across socioeconomic strata: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background 1Little is known of the extent of workplace bullying in Malaysia, despite its growing recognition worldwide as a serious public health issue in the workplace. Workplace bullying is linked to stress-related health issues, as well as socioeconomic consequences which may include absenteeism due to sick days and unemployment. We sought to examine the prevalence of workplace bullying and its association with socioeconomic factors and psychological distress in a large observational study of Malaysian employees. Methods This study employed cross-sectional, self-reported survey methodology. We used the 6-item Kessler screening scale (K6) to assess psychological distress (cutoff score ≥ 13, range 0–24, with higher scores indicating greater psychological distress). Participants self-reported their perceptions of whether they had been bullied at work and how frequently this occurred. A multivariate logistic regression was conducted with ever bullying and never bullying as dichotomous categories. Results There were a total of 5235 participants (62.3% female). Participant ages ranged from 18 to 85, mean ± standard deviation (M ± SD): 33.88 ± 8.83. A total of 2045 (39.1%) participants reported ever being bullied. Of these, 731 (14.0%) reported being subject to at least occasional bullying, while another 194 (3.7%) reported it as a common occurrence. Across all income strata, mean scores for psychological distress were significantly higher for ever bullied employees (M ± SD: 8.69 ± 4.83) compared to those never bullied (M ± SD: 5.75 ± 4.49). Regression analysis indicated significant associations ( p < 0.001) between workplace bullying with being female (Adjusted OR (aOR) = 1.27, 95% CI 1.12–1.44), higher individual income levels of between RM4,000 to RM7,999 (aOR =1.24, 95% CI 1.06–1.45) and RM8,000 and above (aOR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.10–1.56), and psychological distress (aOR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.13–1.16). Conclusions More than one in three employees reported having experienced workplace bullying, which was found to be specifically associated with being female, drawing a higher income, and greater psychological distress. In general, low individual income was associated with greater psychological distress. However, higher income employees were far more likely to report experiencing workplace bullying. Findings from this study offer relevant insight into the associations between socioeconomic status and psychological distress in workplace bullying.

Prevalence of Workplace Bullying and Risk Groups in Chinese Employees in Hong Kong

“…Our findings were also different from the majority of studies—workers with low and minimum-wage were more likely to be bullied [ 1 , 46 , 47 ] because their employment is often at the will of the employers. Our finding was consistent with a Malaysian study [ 48 ] and Chan and colleagues argued that income levels may not be a clear indicator for risk of workplace bullying even where economic disparities are evident. In the context of Hong Kong, it is likely that those with higher monthly income occupy a better and hierarchically higher position in their workplace.…”

Prevalence of Workplace Bullying and Its Associated Factors among Workers in a Malaysian Public University Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

“… 48 , 57 , 58 Such vulnerability to bullying among junior staff could be caused by collapsed coping mechanisms for workplace stressors or the hierarchical structure within the organization that demands work beyond one’s capabilities while trying to adapt to a new organizational climate. 24 , 59 Similarly, workers who were not involved in patient care, such as administrative or clerical staff, were highly vulnerable to workplace bullying, and this finding was consistent with a previous study. 33 …”

“…From the Malaysian perspective, studies have attempted to explore bullying in the workplace in the non-healthcare 24,25 and health-care domains. [26][27][28] These works have provided useful insights to further explore the magnitude of workplace bullying, particularly from health workers' perspectives, given the escalated burden faced in modern medical practice for greater commitment to service delivery and organizational structure.…”

Risk factors for resignation from work after starting infertility treatment among Japanese women: Japan-Female Employment and Mental health in Assisted reproductive technology (J-FEMA) study

“…This was lower than that reported in 'Pregnancy and Maternity-Related Discrimination and Disadvantage: Experiences of Mothers', published by the government of the UK, in which 20% of mothers experienced harassment or negative comments related to pregnancy or flexible working from their employer and/or colleagues. 34 Chan et al 10 reported that gender-based workplace bullying is experienced by nearly 40% of general female employees. However, our study showed that one-third of those who felt harassment eventually resigned from work, which was much higher than the 17.1% resignation rate in female workers in a general population in 2018.…”