Speaking to ERR morning radio show "Vikerhommik," Raun said that the key point is that the victim can venture to ask for help, and that those who are witnesses to bullying support the victim, and not the bully.

A comprehensive study from 2019 conducted in Estonia and utilizing international methodologies found that nearly 10 percent of respondents perceived themselves to have fallen victim to workplace bullying.

A 2021 study by Eurofound published a study that revealed that an average of six percent of employees Europe-wide report experiencing workplace bullying.

Definitional parameters include the following: A one-off conflict or row, or a single misunderstanding, does not constitute workplace bullying or harassment.

Workplace bullying involves negative behaviors over an extended period of time and with a degree of regularity. An additional requirement is a power gradient, in other words the victim is at a lower grade in terms of workplace position.

The rationale here is that the victim has less, little or no scope in protecting themselves.

The bully may well formally hold more power in terms of their position or job title, though even when victim and perpetrator are at the same or similar grades (or even if the victim is at the higher level), if, for instance, the bully holds power informally.

This can arise if the bully is favored by their superior over others at the same level, for instance. Other situations can include competition if there is more than one bully in the day-to-day workplace environment, or if social dynamics dictate an unofficial leader of the pack emerges.

All of this dovetails into a lack of legal clarity on what workplace bullying actually is.

Raun, who wrote her doctoral thesis on the topic back in 2015, said: "Harassment at work is not directly defined in Estonian law; it is one of the psycho-social risk factors which must be mapped and dealt with by the employer."

According to Raun, workplace bullying is an insidious, slow-burning, snowball of a process as noted above. "The most important thing is to resolve the problems immediately, so that nothing continues smoldering in the embers." 

"Then these problems will not go as far as workplace bullying at all," she added.

This can include involving mediation.

Raun said she often gets invited to organizations to conduct reconciliation procedures. "It's usually the case that I get a call from an HR department or, in smaller organizations, a manager."

Victims can be just that, a plural rather than a single individual, Raun noted.

"I recall one incident, though there have been more, where an entire unit turned against its manager," she said, the implication being that it was the manager who was the original bully.

In the case of such conciliation procedures, those involved in the bullying incidents are interviewed individually, including bystanders sometimes, and the wishes and needs of all parties are investigated.

Since the intention is to continue working together in the future and there is no scope for immediately extricating oneself from a situation at work, as there may be in other situations, there is greater incentive to do so.

Ignoring a person can also be annoying. For example, a leader does not greet his subordinates, does not communicate with them, or communicates with some and not others. "It must be a continuous and long-term activity, not a one-time activity," added Raun.

Passive-aggressive bullying is also a concern, Raun said; for instance if a leader does not greet their subordinates in the mornings or at other times, or fails to communicate with them at all, or communicates with some staff and not others.

Raun said much actually depends on bystanders, on witnesses to workplace bullying. These people, even if not meaning to, can grant the bully their position of power. "If they are silent, they are supporting the bully and building the momentum. The victim should be supported and encouraged to seek help, for example by contacting the HR department. If the victim does is too afraid to do so, or is unable to do for some reason, bystanders should do so on their behalf."

Bullying is often a pattern of systemic behavior on the part of the bully, she added. "If they have bullied one person, but the person subsequently leaves his job, they can always select a new victim and then the bullying can recur," she explained.

"You should definitely note down the date an incident happens."

These records can be presented to HR or the other relevant department or person/people.

But what if these go-to people prove ineffective, and do not successfully resolve the situation, or do not attempt to – for instance if the workplace is in a sector, for instance the media, debt collection, or the law known to often be inhabited by comparatively thick-skinned people?

One step Raun suggested was to take the matter to independent body the Labor Inspectorate (Tööinspektsioon).

The most vital thing is that you have to support the victim, though it is up to the victim themselves to venture to come forward sooner or later. "First off, you need to have the courage to address directly the bully and tell them to halt their activity, as it is hurtful."

Up to that point, the "bully" may have been unaware even that they had been acting as such, or had been aware but did not realize the extent of the impact of their actions and words.

"If we don't inform a bully, we will never know if their activity was intentional or not; perhaps they acted in the way they did incidentally."

"Workplace bullying is always intentional, however," she concluded.

Some English-language resources are here, here and here.

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