For many people – perhaps most people – mustering up the motivation to get out of bed and face the workday on a Monday morning can be challenging.
Now imagine how hard it is when you're a victim of workplace bullying.
The Workplace Bullying Institute estimates that 35 percent of U.S. workers – or 53 million people – have experienced workplace bullying firsthand.
But even though bullying has a cancerous effect on workplace productivity, morale and yes, the company's bottom line, there are far too many examples of its prevalence in the work world.
Among those examples is the story of Maria, a health care professional whose name has been changed to protect her identity.
"Some days I actually feel like I've been in this war zone," says Maria, who has hired an attorney and filed a whistleblower complaint.
For more on Maria's story and the culture of bullying in the United States, read "Beyond the Playground: When Bullying Elbows its Way into the Workplace"
in sister publication EHS Today.