By Assoc Prof Dr Tengku Elena Tengku Mahamad

As workplaces evolve, so do the challenges employees face including subtle, persistent forms of bullying that are often normalised as part of organisational culture. This raises an important question: Are our graduates prepared to recognise and respond to such realities? Workplace bullying is not always loud or visible.

Sometimes, it takes the form of persistent exclusion, sarcasm disguised as humour, or subtle power plays that leave a lasting emotional impact. While most academic programmes focus on preparing students with technical and professional skills, there is a growing urgency to also prepare them for these interpersonal realities, especially as they enter increasingly complex and high-pressure work environments.

Bullying disguised as workplace norms

In many organisations, bullying is minimised, normalised, or even mistaken for strong leadership. Repeated public criticism is labelled as “constructive feedback”. Social exclusion is explained as “business decisions”. Disrespect is overlooked for the sake of efficiency. But these behaviours have consequences.

They break down trust, create toxic team dynamics, and erode psychological safety. When bullying is allowed to continue unchallenged, it becomes part of the workplace culture, one that prioritises silence over accountability. Workplace bullying is not only a behavioural problem, it is also a failure of communication. And it is time we addressed it as such.

Legal protection and organisational responsibility

Recent amendments to the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code reflect a growing recognition of bullying as a serious social and workplace concern. The Penal Code (Amendment) Act 2025 and the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Act 2025, which came into force in July 2025, introduce new provisions to strengthen action against bullying including offences related to threats, harassment, and emotionally harmful communication, both in physical and digital spaces.

The inclusion of new sections, such as Sections 507B to 507G, allows for legal action against behaviours intended to cause emotional distress or fear, including doxing, now recognised as a punishable offence.

These amendments send a clear message that bullying, whether online or offline, is no longer tolerated as part of workplace or social culture. While the law primarily addresses criminal accountability, its presence inevitably shapes how organisations view responsibility.

There is now a stronger expectation for workplaces to be more conscious of communication norms, to discourage harmful behaviours, and to support a culture where employees feel psychologically safe.

Legal frameworks may not eliminate bullying entirely, but they are part of a broader shift, one that urges organisations to take a more proactive and ethical stance in ensuring respect, fairness, and emotional well-being in the workplace.

The role of education in shaping future professionals

While legal protections are in place, preventive action must begin earlier, that is through education. Preparing students for the workplace is not just about developing their technical capabilities.

It must also involve raising awareness about workplace bullying, teaching them to recognise harmful behaviours, and equipping them with strategies to respond professionally and assertively.

Courses such as Organisational Communication, Leadership Communication, and Work Psychology offer important platforms to embed workplace realities. These subjects help students explore how communication shapes team dynamics, how power and authority are conveyed, and how individuals respond to stress, conflict, and organisational pressure.

It is essential that these subjects go beyond theory to address the emotional dimensions of workplace interactions. Skills such as self-awareness, empathy, emotion regulation, and conflict resolution are not just desirable, they are necessary.

They form the foundation of effective workplace communication and are especially critical when dealing with issues such as bullying, harassment, or toxic leadership.

By embedding these emotional competencies into relevant courses, we prepare students to recognise unhealthy patterns of communication, understand the impact of emotions in professional interactions, communicate assertively without aggression, lead with empathy and fairness, and contribute to psychologically safe and respectful workplaces.

Workplace communication is not only about clarity and professionalism, but also about intention, tone, and emotional intelligence. When students are trained to approach communication with both skill and self-awareness, they are more likely to become professionals who foster respectful and inclusive work cultures.

Acknowledging the impact of emotional labour

In many workplaces, employees are expected to remain composed, agreeable, and adaptable, even in the face of unreasonable demands, subtle hostility or poor leadership.

This unspoken expectation often requires individuals to suppress their emotions to maintain harmony or avoid conflict. Over time, this emotional labour can lead to stress, burnout, and disengagement, regardless of one’s seniority or experience. By addressing this reality in the classroom, educators can help students develop the awareness and skills needed to protect their own well-being while upholding professional standards.

This includes learning how to set appropriate boundaries, engage in difficult conversations, and advocate for themselves and others with both confidence and clarity.

Rethinking what we teach in preparing future professionals

Preparing students for today’s workplace requires more than teaching technical communication skills. It calls for a deeper understanding of communication as a human practice, one grounded in empathy, ethics, and emotional awareness.

This shift means integrating real-world challenges into our curriculum. Topics like workplace bullying, emotional labour, and leadership under pressure should not be treated as peripheral issues, but as essential components of professional readiness.

Equally important is creating space for open dialogue on power dynamics, psychological safety, and the consequences of harmful communication patterns.

When students learn how communication can shape culture, influence behaviour, and impact well-being, they are not only more capable, but more conscious. They enter the workforce prepared to lead with integrity, respond to conflict thoughtfully, and uphold values that foster healthy work environments.

Workplace bullying will not disappear overnight. But we can take the first step by ensuring our graduates are equipped with the insight, confidence, and language to challenge it.

Communication is not merely a tool for delivering messages, it is a means of shaping the kind of culture we want to sustain. Those who understand this are not just prepared to succeed, but to make a difference.

-- BERNAMA

Assoc Prof Dr Tengku Elena Tengku Mahamad is a Deputy Dean (Research & Industrial Linkages) / Senior Lecturer (Communication Management & Policy), Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam.