What Is Mobbing? Psychological Harassment at Work and Ways to Protect Against It

What Is Mobbing?

Mobbing is the totality of systematic, continuous and deliberate psychological pressure, intimidation and exclusion behaviors directed at an employee in the workplace. In Turkish it is also called "psychological harassment at work." The aim is usually to overwhelm the person in order to reduce their performance, damage their reputation or force them to leave.

Mobbing can be seen not only from a manager toward an employee (vertical) but also among employees (horizontal) and even directed by subordinates toward a superior.

Which Behaviors Count as Mobbing?

A single argument or ordinary criticism is not mobbing. The distinguishing feature of mobbing is continuity and systematicity. Common examples:

• Constantly criticizing and belittling the employee unjustly
• Deliberately excluding them from information and communication, not inviting them to meetings
• Assigning tasks far below or far above their qualifications, or unattainable ones
• Spreading rumors, damaging their reputation
• Constantly monitoring them, applying excessive and oppressive supervision
• Physically isolating them (placing them alone in a room, etc.)

Elements of Mobbing

For a behavior to be legally accepted as mobbing, the following elements are generally required:

1. Occurring in the workplace
2. Being directed at a specific person (targeting)
3. Being systematic and repeated
4. Having continuity (in court decisions, six months and a frequency of once a week are often cited as criteria)
5. The presence of intent to intimidate / exclude

Rights of an Employee Subjected to Mobbing

Mobbing constitutes an attack on the employee's personal rights. The employee may:

• Terminate the employment contract for just cause and claim severance pay,
• File a lawsuit for material and moral damages,
• Lodge a complaint with the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (ALO 170),
• If there is an ethics line / complaint mechanism at the workplace, use it first.

For the purpose of proof, the orderly preservation of evidence such as dates, witnesses, emails and messages is of great importance.

Ways for HR to Prevent Mobbing

Human resources is the most important guarantor of a healthy work environment. Effective measures:

• A written policy: Create a clear ethics policy that includes the definition of mobbing, example behaviors and sanctions.
• A safe complaint channel: Set up a confidential reporting line that employees can use without fear of retaliation.
• Impartial investigation: Take every report seriously and investigate it objectively and confidentially.
• Manager training: Provide managers with leadership and awareness training; clarify the difference between "firm management" and "psychological pressure."
• Culture measurement: Track early-warning signals with employee engagement and satisfaction surveys.

For a Healthy Work Culture

The fight against mobbing is won by building a preventive culture rather than by intervening in individual incidents. With Yönetim İK, you can monitor employee feedback, leave and absenteeism patterns and performance processes on a single platform to notice potential problems early; and build a transparent and safe work environment.