How workplace bullying affects your and your partner’s wellbeing

From freemalaysiatoday.com

Distressing events at work can impact the affected person’s quality of sleep – and potentially that of those around them 

From stress and insomnia to loneliness and low morale, workplace bullying doesn’t just affect the physical and mental health of those exposed to it – it also invades their personal spheres. A British study published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence reveals that workplace bullying disrupts victims’ sleep, with direct repercussions on their partners.

Researchers from the University of East Anglia studied the short-term impact of workplace bullying on several sleep indicators, including difficulty falling asleep, nighttime wakings and overall dissatisfaction with sleep. They observed two distinct groups: 147 employees monitored over five days; and 139 couples analysed over two months.

Their conclusions are clear: when employees are victims of bullying, they tend to think back over the conflictual situations they have experienced, trying to analyse and justify them. This incessant rumination, which seeks to help them make sense of what they’ve been through, only adds to their stress and compromises the quality of their sleep.

Employers have a role to play in establishing healthy corporate cultures and actively combating toxic behaviour. (Envato Elements pic)

“When individuals experience bullying at work, they may engage in rumination as a way to mentally process and attempt to cope with the negative events. However, this repeated thinking can lead to problems such as difficulties in falling and staying asleep, affecting sleep impact and satisfaction,” lead author Ana Sanz-Vergel explained.

And these sleep problems don’t stop with the victim – they also affect people’s other halves. Interrupted sleep, nocturnal awakenings and persistent feelings of tiredness can spread between the couple, creating a climate of shared tension and fatigue.

Repeatedly thinking about distressing events at work could lead to sleep difficulties, experts warn. (Envato Elements pic)

So, what can be done to combat this? The experts recommend both organisational and individual interventions.

For employers, it’s a matter of establishing a healthy corporate culture and actively combating toxic behaviour. For individuals, learning to disconnect from work outside office hours is an effective strategy for limiting rumination and, by extension, disturbed sleep.

Another avenue is preventive programmes for couples to help partners better manage the psychological consequences of workplace bullying. “This could help provide coping strategies to both members of the couple, which would in turn reduce rumination levels and insomnia,” Sanz-Vergel noted.

This study is a reminder that workplace bullying doesn’t stop at the company gates: it infiltrates the personal sphere and undermines individuals’ wellbeing. As such, it seems that preserving the mental health of employees can also help protect that of those around them.

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2025/03/02/how-workplace-bullying-affects-your-and-your-partners-wellbeing/