Yes, yelling in the workplace is harassment no matter how you want to paint it. It’s really a bad thing that happens often in many workplaces. You’ve probably been yelled at some point. Or yelled at someone else.
Yelling has long been a part of the workplace culture, but it’s never been a good one. Do you know why? Because yelling changes people’s state of mind. It can cause them to lose focus, get angry, feel insecure, and become resentful.
Most of us have dealt with rude and disrespectful people in our time, but that doesn’t mean a “yell-a-thon” is necessary.
Yelling isn’t the best way to handle workplace conflicts, especially if you feel like your voice is being ignored. Most of us don’t behave cleverly when we’re emotional and frustrated.
Therefore, as humans, you can lose your cool at a point and express your anger or frustration by yelling. But how do you avoid this from happening and save the situation before it gets worse?
Read on to learn more.
What Makes People Yell in the Workplace?
1. Trying to achieve targets that are impossible
The first thing is that people yell at work because they are worried. It is not always about having a bad day or being stressed out, but it is often about feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of getting the job done and achieving targets that are impossible.
2. The pressures of certain deadlines
Workplaces are full of deadlines that have been set by management for both individuals and teams.
So there’s always pressure to complete tasks on time and with excellence in order for workers to receive bonuses for meeting these goals (or even salary increases). These pressures often cause people to yell at work.
3. Lack of competence
People yell at work because they feel inadequate for the task at hand. They might be over-tasked and under-resourced, or they might simply be bad at their job. Either way, yelling is a reaction to feeling inadequate or incompetent.
People yell when they don’t know what to do, so they make decisions based on what feels right in order to avoid looking incompetent.
4. Fear/anxiety
Fear/anxiety is another cause of yelling at work.
This could arise from a fear that their job will be lost if their performance does not improve quickly enough, or from thoughts about what might happen if they’re found out by others for being incompetent or incompetent at something else (such as lying).
5. Low self-esteem
The second issue is that people yell at work because their self-esteem has been hurt by someone else’s behavior.
This could be another member of staff or even a customer. It could be anything that makes someone feel bad about themselves, so when they are in a situation where they have to deal with it, they don’t know what to do.
6. Bad company culture
Another reason why people yell at work is when they have been pushed too far by their managers or colleagues.
This can happen through bullying or micromanagement and it’s hard for an employee to accept this behavior from their boss if they don’t see any other way out. That’s why it is important for a company to have a good culture.
7. Misplaced Frustration
It is important to understand that people yell at work because they feel frustrated. They may have a hard time interacting with other employees and managers in a positive way, which can lead them to yell at their coworkers and managers.
8. Lack of self-control
Another reason people yell at work is that they lack the ability to control themselves when they are frustrated or angry. This could be due to having a short fuse or simply not knowing how to appropriately handle their emotions in social situations.
9. Lack of understanding and communication
Some people yell because they don’t understand what the other person is saying or because they feel misunderstood by their coworkers or bosses.
This can happen when someone either misunderstands what you mean or doesn’t take the time to listen carefully enough before responding back.
How to Avoid Yelling in the Workplace
Yelling in the workplace is harassment and it can be a real problem if you don’t know how to avoid it. It’s one of the top things that put employees at risk of being fired.
The bad news is that yelling can get you into trouble at work and make you look unprofessional in front of your colleagues. The good news is there are ways to deal with it before it gets out of hand.
Here are some tips for dealing with workplace yelling:
1. Know your triggers
If you’re yelling at work, it’s probably because you’re feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. So the first thing to do is figure out why you’re yelling. Are you frustrated because of a task that needs to be done? Or are you angry about something else?
2. Don’t take things too personally
A common mistake is taking an issue personally, even though it’s not personal at all.
If you’ve been yelling at work all week, it might not be because you really care about the job; instead, it could just be a habit of yelling at work because you haven’t had any other way of dealing with challenges or problems that come up in your day-to-day responsibilities as an employee.
3. Listen to the other person’s point of view
When someone is yelling at work, it’s easy for them to feel attacked and defensive — especially if they feel like their issues aren’t being taken seriously or listened to properly.
So before responding with anger yourself, try putting yourself in their shoes by slowing down and trying to understand their perspective.
4. Be objective
A good step to dealing with a workplace argument is to understand what’s going on. It’s not always easy to tell the difference between an argument and a conflict, so don’t jump to conclusions.
The key is to look at the situation objectively and try not to judge things too quickly.
5. Always think before you respond
Take some time to think before you respond. If someone’s yelling at you, take a few seconds to think about what they’re saying and how it affects you emotionally. Try not to react too quickly and try not to let anger get the best of you.
6. Avoid people that are annoying
Avoiding people that are annoying at your place of work is another effective way to avoid yelling in the workplace.
Not only will they make your life harder but they may also have a negative impact on your career if other people see them as an example of behavior that is not tolerated at their workplace.
7. Improve your communication skills
If you want to improve your communication skills and become more assertive and self-controlled, then becoming aware of your own emotions and learning how to express yourself without yelling is essential.
FAQs
Can you be fired for yelling at your boss?
Yelling in the workplace is harassment and it is something that can get you fired if it is against your boss.
Is yelling a hostile work environment?
The short answer is yes.
Is yelling at a coworker harassment?
Whether you yell at your coworker, client, or vendor, yelling in the workplace is harassment.
Conclusion: Is Yelling in the Workplace Bad?
Let’s be honest though – yelling in the workplace is harassment and it is bad. Screaming at co-workers is probably the last thing on your checklist when you go to work each day, but it happens more than you think.
Whether it’s being upset with a client, irritated with a process, or frustrated over an employee who isn’t performing up to par quickly enough.
Workplace yelling happens for a number of reasons. There might be miscommunication, the boss might be really stressed out and needs to vent off steam or there might just be someone’s behavior that is irritating them. It’s easy to let your anger get the better of you and start yelling.
When you think you are about to yell at someone, take a complete break and do something to get your mind off the problem. Thinking about the problem and getting angry only fuels the problem.
If you can keep yourself from getting all worked up, you’ll be able to react calmly and not let emotions get the best of you.
I hope you found this article helpful. You should check out the workplace pages of the website. There are helpful articles that will teach you how to be a great addition to your workplace while you soar in your career.
Thanks for reading.
