Facing New Zealand’s Bullying Epidemic: When the System Fails, Silence Is Not an Option

The headlines dominating New Zealand media aren’t just shocking. They are heartbreaking, infuriating, and entirely preventable. A brutal truth has been laid bare across our workforce: New Zealand has a systemic, deep seated culture of bullying.

When these high profile stories hit the news, people often ask me why I am so ready to speak out publicly. I do it because silence is a bully's greatest asset.

For me, representing people targeted by workplace harassment isn't just a legal file, and it doesn't start when we finally walk through the doors of the Employment Relations Authority (ERA). My dedication begins the absolute second a case comes to me. I see the raw human cost long before an ERA Member or mediator does. I see the panic, the shattered sleep, and the paralysing anxiety that hits someone on a Sunday night before they have to walk back into a toxic environment. If we do not expose these environments in the media and the ERA, the culture will never change.

The Tip of the Iceberg: Real Cases I Have Fought on the Frontlines

I don't just speak out about workplace harassment; I am actively on the ground fighting it. The reality of workplace bullying in New Zealand is reflected in major public reckonings across different sectors where I have been directly involved in advocating for the workers affected:

• The Tragic Extreme: The severe reality of corporate negligence was exposed at the Lyttelton Port Company, where an independent investigation into a toxic culture of bullying was launched following an employee's sudden death. I worked directly alongside the daughter who broke her silence, warning that systemic abuse was merely the "tip of the iceberg." Read the full coverage on Stuff: Lyttelton Port Company Bullying Culture Exposed and learn more about the staff response on Stuff: Lyttelton Port Workers Speak Out.

  

• Institutional Toxicity: Severe psychological bullying, gaslighting, and blatant favouritism have also been laid bare within care organisations. I stood with the former employees at NZCare Disability who stepped forward to expose how deeply a toxic culture was embedded in their everyday environment. Read their accounts on Stuff: NZCare Disability Toxic Workplace Claims.

  

• Vulnerable Sectors Targeted: Even those tasked with educating the next generation are not safe. I have represented early childhood centre teachers who broke their silence regarding toxic, targeted bullying circles behind the scenes. Read the teachers' perspectives on Stuff: Early Childhood Centre Bullying Culture.

• Gross Exploitation: In one of the most upsetting cases of employee degradation handled by the ERA, I fought for a worker who was shockingly "paid" in Nutella jars and rides on a lawnmower, successfully securing twenty six thousand dollars in damages. Review the landmark ruling on Otago Daily Times: Worker Paid in Nutella Awarded $26k. and represented another worker from that same work place in a different case.

• Victory for Healthcare Workers: I am proud to have secured a major win in the case of Kelly Drake against Maniototo Health Services. Kelly was a healthcare assistant subjected to ongoing, unaddressed workplace bullying that left her feeling unsafe and caused severe distress. We took the fight to the Employment Relations Authority, which ruled that the employer fell short of what a fair and reasonable employer should have done. The ERA awarded Kelly thousands in compensation for humiliation and loss of dignity. You can read our detailed case study here on Employment Resolution Consultants: Ruling on Workplace Bullying.

These cases emphasise a broader issue explored heavily by industrial advocates: is enough genuinely being done to shift our cultural baseline? Read more about this national discussion on Stuff: Is Enough Being Done to End NZ's Culture of Bullying?.

Bullying Isn't Just Top-Down: Understanding Mobbing

We often think of a bully as a tyrannical boss terrorising an employee. But bullying is a chameleon; it changes shape. Over the years, I have represented many managers and supervisors who have found themselves targeted from below or across by a phenomenon known as mobbing.

What is mobbing? Mobbing is a form of collective, organised bullying. It happens when a group of employees gangs up on a single individual, which is often a manager trying to implement workplace policy or hold people accountable. The group uses rumours, social exclusion, passive-aggressive non-compliance, and coordinated manipulation to isolate the target, destroy their credibility, and force them out of the organisation.

It is a vicious reminder that bullying is not just an employment dynamic; it is a societal problem. It bleeds out of our workplaces and thrives in our families, our schools, and our communities. Let’s be entirely realistic: bullying exists and, unfortunately, human nature means it will likely always exist in some form. We cannot completely eradicate it. But what we can do, and what we desperately must do, is change how we deal with it and mitigate its impacts.

Trust Your Instincts: What You Can Do

In my years of dealing with employment disputes, I tell my clients one golden rule: If you feel like you are being bullied, you probably are.

Do not let toxic gaslighting convince you that you are "just being sensitive," "misinterpreting things," or "failing to handle normal workplace pressure." Trust your gut. Taking action is incredibly daunting when you are exhausted and your confidence has been stripped away.

If you are trapped in this position, you need to systematically build your armour:

1.Shift everything to writing:The absolute golden rule.

Never rely on verbal conversations again. If a manager or colleague corners you verbally, immediately follow up with an email summarising what was said: "Hi [Name], just to confirm our conversation just now regarding..." If they refuse to put instructions or feedback in writing, document it yourself via email. A paper trail is your lifeline.

2.Keep a secure, contemporaneous log:Outside of work networks.

Start a detailed, private diary. Note times, dates, exact words used, who was present, and how it made you feel. Crucially, keep this diary on a personal device or notebook, never on a work computer or work email accounts where your access can be cut off instantly if you are suspended or dismissed.

3.Review internal policies:Know the company rules.

Locate your company's code of conduct or specific anti bullying policy. Identify the formal process for raising a complaint. If the bully is the person designated to deal with the complaint go higher or ask for an independent investigation.

4.Seek independent help: If it gets too much, do not try to navigate this alone. Engage an employment advocate, a union representative, or an employment lawyer early. Having someone objective to look at your documentation ensures your voice remains clear, your rights are protected, and you don't inadvertently jeopardise a potential personal grievance case.

The Most Important Aspect: Protecting Your Mental Health

While building a legal strategy is important, I want to emphasise what matters most to me as a human being: your mental health.

Bullying is devastating. It doesn't just stay at work; it follows you home. It destroys a person’s self worth, infects their family life, robs them of joy, and fundamentally damages their long-term well being. No job, no salary, and no career title is worth your psychological destruction.

As you navigate this, look at how you can mitigate the impact on your mind. Go to your GP and be completely honest about the stress you are under. Utilise external counselling networks like EAP (Employee Assistance Programme), or seek private support if you can. Lean heavily on your trusted friends and family, and let them remind you of who you are outside of that toxic building. I will put people in touch with Amanad would works will me; have a look for my blocks to find out how she ca help you.

If your workplace has become a psychological hazard, stepping away on medical leave or pursuing a constructive dismissal claim with an advocate by your side is not giving up. It is an act of self preservation.

We need systemic change in New Zealand, and we need everyone, including employers, lawmakers, and community leaders, involved in changing the impact of this crisis. Until that happens, know that you do not have to take it lying down, and you do not have to fight it alone.