If you face long-term bullying, insults, or harassment at work, do not just endure it: record evidence, then complain, report, or arbitrate depending on what happened

People bullied at work later face roughly 60% higher risk of heart disease and stroke, and more bullying means higher risk. Years later, bullied workers are about twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts as others. Insults and mistreatment are not something you shrug off.

Cost

No monetary cost. Time to log dates, who was present, exact words, and to keep original chat screenshots and emails. Arbitration or litigation can take months. Changing jobs is the highest cost — whether to leave is your call.

Benefit

For health: three Swedish and Danish cohorts together, 79,201 employed people aged 18 to 65. None had cardiovascular disease at baseline; mean follow-up 12.4 years. 9% reported workplace bullying in the past year. Bullied workers had about 59% higher risk of cardiovascular disease (coronary and cerebrovascular disease) (HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.28–1.98). Those who faced workplace violence had about 25% higher risk (HR 1.25, 1.12–1.40). For both, more exposure meant higher risk. A Norwegian nationally sampled follow-up survey of 1,846 employed people, measured every two to three years for three rounds: bullied workers were about twice as likely to develop suicidal thoughts (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.08–3.89). The reverse did not hold — prior suicidal thoughts did not predict later bullying. Legally, China has no dedicated «workplace bullying» statute; match the act to existing rules. Employers who insult, physically punish, beat, illegally search, or illegally detain workers face administrative penalties, must compensate harm, and bear criminal liability if applicable. If an employer uses violence or threats to force work, you may terminate the contract at once without prior notice and claim economic compensation. Employers must prevent and stop sexual harassment via authority or hierarchy; victims may hold harassers civilly liable. Labor arbitration closes within 45 days from acceptance; complex cases may extend up to 15 days more.

Notes

Graded B because health figures come from follow-up studies, not randomized trials, and «bullying» was self-reported. Four steps you can take now. Step one: start logging today; recording — Section 8, item 41. Step two: raise the issue in writing through internal channels and keep proof you did. Step three: if you are beaten, confined, or publicly humiliated, call the police. Step four: if unpaid wages or missing social insurance (社保) forced you out, follow this section item 7 (do not sign voluntary resignation) and item 8 (save evidence before leaving). How economic compensation is calculated: this section item 4 (calculate N when laid off). Pure cold-shoulder, exclusion, or petty obstruction often fit no specific statute; main routes are internal complaint, transfer, and changing jobs. Arbitration runs up to 60 days from acceptance; first-instance court is 6 months from the start; you pay your own lawyer. If you are at breaking point, call 12356 — Section 1, item 25 (12356). This item does not tell you to quit at the first insult; the cost of changing jobs is yours to weigh.

Sources · 6

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2. Nielsen MB, Nielsen GH, Notelaers G, Einarsen S (2015). Workplace Bullying and Suicidal Ideation: A 3-Wave Longitudinal Norwegian Study. American Journal of Public Health. doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302855
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