Workplace Bullying in Hong Kong: How It Affects Mental Health, Performance and Recovery
Dr. Raman Sidhu
Founder & CEO, Harmonia | Former Global HR Leader at Shell & AIA | Psychotherapist | Executive Mental Health Specialist | Hong Kong
Nearly One in Five Employees in Hong Kong Have Experienced Workplace Bullying
Workplace bullying is far more common than many organisations realise.
A landmark Hong Kong study found that 18% of working adults experienced workplace bullying within the previous 12 months, while more than one in four (26.7%) reported experiencing bullying at some point during their careers. Behind every statistic is a person whose confidence, wellbeing and sense of self may have been deeply affected.
At Harmonia, we regularly meet professionals who initially seek support for anxiety, depression, burnout or chronic stress. As therapy unfolds, many discover that the real source of their emotional distress is not simply workload—it is prolonged exposure to a psychologically unsafe workplace.
Having spent more than two decades leading Human Resources across multinational organisations including Shell and AIA before becoming a psychotherapist, I have had the privilege of seeing workplace bullying from two perspectives: helping organisations build healthy cultures, and helping individuals recover when those cultures fail.
One lesson stands out above all others:
Workplace bullying is not merely an HR issue. It is a leadership, governance and mental health issue that affects individuals, families, teams and organisations alike.
What Does Workplace Bullying Look Like?
Bullying is not always obvious. It is often subtle, persistent and difficult to prove.
Common examples include:
Repeated criticism regardless of performance
Public humiliation or embarrassment
Excluding someone from meetings or important information
Micromanaging one employee while trusting everyone else
Setting unrealistic deadlines designed for failure
Taking credit for another person’s work
Spreading rumours or damaging someone’s reputation
Deliberately ignoring or isolating a colleague
Gaslighting or making someone question their own reality
Retaliating after concerns are raised
While any one incident may appear minor, repeated exposure creates an environment of chronic psychological stress.
The Psychological Impact of Workplace Bullying
Our brains are designed to respond to repeated social rejection and humiliation as threats.
Over time, the nervous system remains in a constant state of alert, affecting emotional regulation, concentration, sleep and physical health.
Many individuals experiencing workplace bullying develop symptoms such as:
Anxiety
Depression
Burnout
Chronic stress
Panic attacks
Insomnia
Emotional exhaustion
Low self-esteem
Hypervigilance
Trauma responses
Difficulty concentrating
Loss of motivation
Some individuals begin to believe they have become “less capable.”
In reality, they are often experiencing a completely normal response to prolonged psychological harm.
When Stress Becomes Workplace Trauma
Many people assume they are simply burnt out.
However, burnout is frequently the result of ongoing workplace experiences rather than excessive workload alone.
When an individual spends months feeling criticised, excluded or intimidated, their nervous system adapts to constant threat.
Over time, this may lead to what mental health professionals increasingly recognise as workplace trauma.
Trauma does not always result from one catastrophic event.
Sometimes it develops gradually through repeated emotional injury.
The Organisational Cost of Workplace Bullying
Bullying affects far more than the individual employee.
Organisations experiencing unhealthy workplace cultures often face:
Higher absenteeism
Presenteeism
Increased employee turnover
Reduced productivity
Lower employee engagement
Greater medical and healthcare costs
Increased recruitment expenses
Reduced innovation
Poor collaboration
Reputational damage
Increased legal and compliance risks
Research consistently shows that psychologically safe workplaces outperform fear-based cultures in innovation, collaboration and long-term organisational performance.
Respect is not simply a wellbeing initiative.
It is a competitive advantage.
Why Workplace Bullying Can Be Difficult to Report
Many people wonder why employees remain silent.
In reality, reporting bullying often feels risky.
Employees may worry:
Will anyone believe me?
Will my career suffer?
Will I lose promotion opportunities?
Will I be labelled as difficult?
Will I lose my job?
Silence should never be interpreted as evidence that bullying has not occurred.
Often, silence reflects the absence of psychological safety.
The Ripple Effect Beyond the Workplace
The impact of workplace bullying rarely remains confined to the office.
People carry emotional stress home.
Partners notice increased irritability.
Children experience emotionally unavailable parents.
Relationships become strained.
Sleep deteriorates.
Physical health declines.
The emotional cost extends far beyond the workplace itself.
How Therapy Can Help
Many professionals hesitate before seeking psychological support because they believe they should simply become “more resilient.”
Seeking help is not a sign of weakness.
It is an investment in recovery.
At Harmonia, our approach combines evidence-based psychotherapy with trauma-informed care to help individuals:
Recover from workplace bullying and emotional trauma
Manage anxiety and chronic stress
Reduce symptoms of depression and burnout
Improve emotional regulation
Restore confidence and self-worth
Strengthen resilience
Rebuild healthy professional boundaries
Return to work with renewed clarity and confidence
Every person’s experience is unique, and therapy is tailored to individual needs and circumstances.
What Organisations Can Do
Creating psychologically healthy workplaces requires more than policies.
Leaders can make a meaningful difference by:
Building psychologically safe cultures
Training managers to distinguish performance management from bullying
Encouraging confidential reporting
Responding consistently and fairly to concerns
Supporting employee mental health
Measuring culture alongside business performance
Holding leaders accountable for how results are achieved
Healthy cultures are created intentionally.
A Shared Responsibility
Workplace bullying is not inevitable.
It can be prevented.
It can be recognised earlier.
And it can be addressed compassionately and professionally.
Whether you are a CEO, senior leader, HR professional, employment lawyer, manager or employee, each of us has a role to play in creating workplaces where respect, dignity and psychological safety are not optional—they are fundamental.
At Harmonia, we believe no one should have to sacrifice their mental health simply to earn a living.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive at work.
If You Need Support
If you or someone you know is experiencing workplace bullying, chronic workplace stress, burnout, anxiety or depression, professional support can make a meaningful difference.
Our experienced English-speaking psychotherapists work with executives, professionals, entrepreneurs and individuals across Hong Kong, providing confidential, evidence-based therapy tailored to each person’s circumstances.
Healing is possible—and it often begins with a single conversation.
References
Education University of Hong Kong. Workplace Bullying among Hong Kong Employees.
Canadian Mental Health Association Hong Kong. Thriving at Work and Workplace Mental Health research.
Hong Kong Labour Department. Key Statistics of Labour Relations.
World Health Organization (2022). Mental Health at Work.
International Labour Organization. Safe and Healthy Working Environments and Psychosocial Risks.
Edmondson, A. The Fearless Organization.
Einarsen, S., Hoel, H., Zapf, D., & Cooper, C. Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace.
Nielsen, M. B., & Einarsen, S. (2012). Outcomes of Workplace Bullying: A Meta-Analytic Review.