The hidden toll: How bullying and sexual harassment fuel workplace burnout

Bullying and sexual harassment in the workplace are more than just harmful acts of misconduct – they are significant drivers of employee burnout, according to Gallagher’s senior HR consultant.

Workplace bullying and sexual harassment are often seen at face value as isolated breaches of professional conduct, but their impact goes much deeper.

Speaking with Jacqui Elliott, a senior HR consultant at Gallagher, revealed that these toxic behaviours are some of the most powerful accelerators of employee burnout, profoundly affecting both individuals and organisations in lasting ways.

The invisible tax of hypervigilance

One of the most profound yet often overlooked effects of workplace bullying and sexual harassment is the constant psychological strain it places on victims – a phenomenon Elliott refers to as the “invisible tax” of hypervigilance.

“We tend to underestimate the invisible tax of hypervigilance. When someone is being harassed, be it bullying or sexual harassment, they’re often stuck in a constant state of ‘fight, flight, or freeze’ scanning the environment for the next landmine,” she said.

When caught in this relentless cycle, she stressed that the constant state of alertness drains significant mental energy, sharply reducing the capacity to focus and perform, and creating a vicious cycle of anxiety over underperformance.

“You can’t possibly deliver your best work while your brain is burning half its energy on self-protection. In this state, you cannot possibly perform your best work, so you add the fear of underperformance and the creeping anxiety that you’re letting your team or clients down,” she said.

Beyond this, Elliott highlighted how the situation is often worsened by the added fear of retaliation and the isolating effects of office gossip, creating a perfect storm of exhaustion and emotional depletion.

“That’s before we even touch on the emotional bruising from the harassment itself. Throw in any retaliatory behaviour from a perpetrator, or the slow suffocation of office gossip, and it’s a perfect recipe for exhaustion. Poor workplace behaviour isn’t just unpleasant, it is one of burnout’s most efficient accelerators,” she said.

A culture blind to the problem

Despite the serious and devastating consequences, Elliott highlighted a troubling reality: many workplaces and its leaders suffer from a significant lack of awareness about the signs and realities of bullying and sexual harassment.

“The standout alarm bell? A startling lack of awareness. In far too many workplaces, leaders and staff don’t understand what workplace bullying or sexual harassment look like in practice, let alone how to address or prevent it,” she said.

“We remain a conflict-averse culture, expertly dodging uncomfortable conversations in the name of keeping the peace.”

However, Elliott warned that this avoidance only serves to worsen the problem. She explained that ignoring inappropriate behaviour sends a silent message that such conduct is acceptable, setting a dangerous precedent that can erode workplace culture from within.

“But here’s the problem: what you walk past without addressing, you tacitly endorse. And in doing so, you quietly rebrand harmful behaviour as ‘acceptable’. That is a dangerous precedent to set, and it’s one that can dismantle trust rapidly,” she said.

The long-term impacts

The costs of ignoring bullying and harassment are profound and multifaceted, affecting both individuals and organisations when these issues go unaddressed.

On a personal level, Elliott explained that victims often endure “psychological injuries, chronic stress, and long-term disengagement”, which can result in reduced productivity and increased absenteeism.

From an organisational standpoint, Elliott noted that the fallout can be extensive, ranging from high staff turnover and escalating workers’ compensation claims to reputational damage that deters both prospective talent and clients.

“On the business side, it’s high turnover, spiralling workers’ compensation claims, reputational bruises that scare off talent and clients, and a culture that rewards survival over performance. It’s the corporate equivalent of ignoring a small fire; sooner or later, the whole place burns down,” she said.

Practical steps to drive change

To address these risks, Elliott emphasised that training and education must be a core, ongoing commitment for everyone in the workplace.

“Training and education are non-negotiable. Everyone in the organisation should know what constitutes sexual harassment, bullying, and poor conduct,” she said.

However, she stressed that this goes far beyond simply distributing policy documents. Real change, she explained, requires interactive, scenario-based learning that brings real-life situations to the forefront – because that is where genuine improvement happens.