Do you feel mistreated and sidelined by your coworkers at your workplace? Then trust me, you are not alone.

 A lot of others experienced workplace Ostracism. Some people decided not to say anything about a silent treatment they get, and thereby, they suffered more and ended up with depression and never-ending stress. 

However, other people decided to do something about it, and thereby, they find a way to cope up with it. 

Today, I intend to expose all dangers associated with workplace Ostracism. Also, I'll share a natural coping mechanism, in case you are the one who is being excluded and experiencing a workplace bullying situation. 

What is Workplace Ostracism?

Before you know how to handle this common issue of the workplace, you must understand what exactly workplace exclusion is. It's nothing but cold violence in a corporate setting. When one employee gets excluded, degraded, and dismissed in a group by other employees. It's like leaving you alone in the group, and no one cares what you think about a specific project, and what your ideas are. 

What is the Danger Associated with Workplace Ostracism?

When an employee feels ignored and excluded, then this sense of loneliness is killing him. It's a point where he starts thinking:

 What he did wrong?

 Is he not good enough?

What can he do to join the rest of the team and group?

His focus shifts from his work to a problem, which is nothing but a factor of workplace bullying or office politics. A group of people is giving him the silent treatment, and this treatment makes him sick. Some common effects are:

• Mental pressure and stress increases and often lead to mental health conditions
• The feeling of shame, anger, sadness
• Disengagement from a group or task becomes a reason for poor performance and low productivity
• Low self-esteem and confidence: Learn nine ways to increase your self-confidence at work
• Negative behavior and attitude often lead to aggression

There is a study conducted on Pakistani university teachers about workplace ostracism and its effects. You can check it out here.

Some Examples Workplace Exclusion of Ostracism

Sometimes, a person is experiencing this workplace issue but doesn't know what exactly it is. Here are some situations that let you identify this problem quickly. 

• You are working with a team, and you feel that you are invisible. No one is talking to you. No one is even looking at you. 
• You talk about a project and come up with ideas. No matter how hard you try and give some ideas, no one is really in the mood to listen to what you have. It's more like you are rejected in your office.
• In extreme cases, you are being ostracized when you have to go through some verbal insults or threatening physical gestures.
• You feel deep down that you have left behind and being ostracized by your boss. However, you have little to no evidence to prove all that.
• While working in a group, your supervisors and coworkers ignore you, and they do this all intentionally.
• Your boss or coworkers don't share all the necessary information and details required to do a project, and they deprive of all that purposely. 
• When it comes to email distribution, everyone gets all the emails and correspondence, and you get a few or none.
• You don't get notifications about a casual or essential office meeting from your supervisors. 
• When you are in a meeting, then your coworkers or boss ignore you.
• Transfers and relocations are parts of a job, and they are reasonable. However, when your boss and supervisors purposely move you from a busy office to hostile one, then it's the signs of ostracism. 

Coping Mechanism for Workplace Ostracism

Here are some proven things to handle workplace exclusion.

Just Know: It's Not Your Fault

If your boss and coworkers are shunning you, then it's not your fault. They are giving you the silent treatment for no reason. So, you shouldn't feel sad or unfortunate about it. Sometimes, a group of people purposefully make one-person a target. They gossip about him, make him feel invisible or rejected. 

Are you wondering why? Well, it's because they feel intimidated by that person. They try to belittle or ignore him just because he is an easy target. Or because they think that he will get a quick promotion due to its high performance.

In your classroom, you often see that back-benchers are making fun of toppers in the class. They can't perform at their level. It's not in their power. So, what they do is to start degrading you. It's like knocking you out, so you can't do anything best. 

Therefore, you don't have to initiate self-doubts.

Make New Friends at Work

If you have been left alone by your group, no worries! Please don't care about them. It would help if you had some connection at work to keep going. So, instead of playing a victim of ostracism, you should keep it all together. Get friendly to other groups and find peace of mind with them.

Don't Confront Them

Keep yourself as composed as possible when working with a group who is mentally torturing you through ostracism. They want to break you, so even when you talk to them about it, they will never accept what they are doing. Thus, confrontation only leads to conflict. Therefore, could you not go for it?

Seek Help for Workplace Ostracism

Many victims of workplace ostracism are out there. Join a support group and discuss what you feel. You might find a mentor who helps you get through this challenging phase of life. The outcomes and anecdotes of workplace exclusion are described well in this study.

Log and Reporting

If you face workplace ostracism one-time, then ignore it. However, it happens all the time then keep a record of it and gather some evidence. Talk to the HR department and seek their help. 

Wrap up

No one deserves to be left alone or feel rejected while working with his coworkers. The phase of ostracism is quite disturbing and self-destructive. If you are facing it, get help and develop a coping mechanism