So What?
Policy Context &
Organisational Implications
12.5%
Only 12.5% of organisations in one review had explicit anti-bullying or harassment policies, and even where policies existed, there were consistent limitations in their design and enforcement. Most policies treat bullying as a unidirectional, top-down problem, which means that Upward Bullying incidents are structurally invisible within existing frameworks.
Incivility & Gossip
Procedural Manipulation
The subtle forms of harmful behaviour that characterise Upward Bullying, including incivility, exclusion, gossip, and procedural manipulation upward, are frequently absent from policy language altogether. This is not a design oversight. It reflects the same flawed assumption about the direction of power that shapes most HR practice.
Compliance
Training
Training on workplace bullying was covered in approximately a 1/4 of the studies reviewed. With most focused on procedural compliance, teaching people what the policy says rather than building the skills needed to recognise and respond to harm in real situations. Compliance-focused training and capability-focused training are not the same thing, and the difference matters.