10/10/2026
Book overview
Do you work in a toxic workplace?
Have you been bullied?
Not sure what to do?
Uncertain about documentation and evidence?
This guide and workbook is relevant for every health care professional, any profession or industry of any kind around the world, keeping in mind the processes and legal matters relevant to each country.
It is important to have a “paper trail” of evidence in case action is taken against you by an employer or if you pursue action against the employer. This workbook should make it easier to document incidents of bullying and collect evidence.
Bullying is the same the world over. It’s like the script is the same in every story, but the actors and the stage change. It is orchestrated.
It is NOT your fault that you have been bullied.
There is NOTHING wrong with you!
There is however something very wrong with the organisations we work for, the bullies and those that ignore the bullies. The system is poisoned.
Bullies don’t target the weakest; they target the best and the strongest. Their goal is to weaken the target so that they feel stronger. Bullies are the weak ones. Something about you shines a light in their darkness and like a deer they are blinded by the light. Like a moth they are drawn to the light and like the darkness they fight the light.
Because bullies are so weak, they aren’t very creative and they don’t want to get their hands dirty, they form a mob of “flying monkeys” to do their bidding. If you’ve ever felt like the others you work with are against you, you will know exactly what that means.
Bullying exists where there is a hostile and toxic workplace with an imbalance of power and misuse of authority. Such workplaces enable and foster such behaviours, resulting in a poisonous culture.
The system is the biggest issue. What “leaders” tolerate sets the tone of what is accepted. As the saying goes, “the fish rots from the head down.” Targets find the workplace clashing with and challenging their professional, personal, ethical and clinical values. Targets are mostly those who truly care and have high integrity and authenticity.
Professions, professional groups, organisations and unions are strongest when members unite. Sadly they won’t stand with workers. It is therefore up to workers to unite themselves to collectively fight, nationally and even internationally. What is stopping us?! Fear! Bullies create fear and immobilisation. Florence Nightingale said: “How very little can be done under the spirit of fear.”
We don’t have to live in fear. There is a lot of power in the collective. Until we realise our collective voice and determine to use it, we will keep living in fear. Until we deal with the apathy within us, we will continue to live in fear and bear the consequences. Courage is the opposite of fear. Courage is the still small voice of the strength within all of us. As Maya Angelou said, we must:
“Develop enough courage so that you can stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else.”
