Amy White, Head of Loch Training & Wellbeing, has noticed a growing trend in the client work she is doing, with managers reporting bullying from within their teams. “When I am delivering training, I am encountering this more and more as managers raise this with me,” Amy told us. She describes examples that range from undermining gossip to coordinated resistance and, in one instance, a shockingly personal verbal attack in a one to one meeting.

Amy’s work with clients – delivering leadership programmes, mediation and cultural interventions, among other things – offers a clear window into this increasingly common scenario within organisations. Her past experience as an employment law solicitor and in HR, mediation and training, means she’s ideally placed to advise employers on what to do about it.

What is ‘upward bullying’?

Most discussions about workplace bullying imagine the power dynamic running one way: from a manager down to a team member. But, as Amy puts it, “we increasingly see it occur in the other direction too”.

Although research on upward bullying is still limited, data shows a significant share of formal issues involve manager/employee conflict, with around 30% of grievances involving conflict between an employee and their line manager and 10% initiated by managers against team members1.

Also known as subordinate bullying, upward bullying occurs when a team member or a group of team members direct offensive or malicious behaviour upwards towards either their line manager or someone perhaps operating at an even higher level. “In practice, this is repeated behaviour designed to undermine authority, damage a manager’s credibility, and sap their confidence,” continues Amy.

Managers often hesitate to name it. “There’s a sense that a manager should be able to manage their team members’ behaviour,” Amy explains. “Bullying is insidious. It’s gradual, often drip-fed, and managers can lose the confidence to take the usual steps they’d take for other forms of performance or misconduct issues. Add to the mix the thought that ‘surely I should be able to handle this’, and many incidents never reach formal channels.”

The behaviours can be overt, covert, or both. Amy described a manager who complained about gossip about her personal life: “It undermined their position, altering the team dynamic in ways that were hard to reverse.”

Why the word ‘bullying’ can make it harder to address

One reason upward bullying is difficult to tackle is that the very term ‘bullying’ can be quite loaded. As Amy points out: “The term bullying in and of itself is really loaded and really emotive and I think people have different interpretations of that.” For some managers, using the word feels like an overreach. For others, it carries stigma or fear of not being taken seriously. This can lead to avoidance, either minimising what’s happening or waiting until matters escalate to breaking point.”

That’s why, in mediation or early-stage interventions, Amy prefers to shift the focus from the label to the behaviours themselves. “Steering away from blanket terms like bullying and instead digging into what are the specific behaviours that you’re experiencing and what are the impact of those behaviours, often opens a more constructive conversation. It allows managers to describe what’s happening in real terms and helps employers decide whether informal resolution, formal grievance, or disciplinary action is the right next step.”

Drawing the line between constructive challenge and bullying

Disagreement isn’t the problem; teams and their leaders need healthy challenge. The distinction sits in how and how often. Constructive challenge is anchored in work and outcomes, uses a respectful tone, and remains proportionate. Bullying feels personal and persistent. It chips away, and could manifest as eye-rolling on calls, comments made in group chats, coordinated refusals to follow reasonable instructions, or habitual escalation over the manager’s head to erode trust.

Hybrid working can intensify matters. Amy notes that in her experience conflict often rises in remote settings, with “fewer non-verbal cues, fewer informal ‘repair’ moments, and magnified micro-reactions on camera.”

Employer responsibilities, and why direction doesn’t change the duty of care

From a legal and people-management standpoint, the direction of the behaviour doesn’t dilute the duty of care owed to all employees. Employers owe the same obligations to managers as to anyone else. They should set clear standards for respectful conduct, investigate complaints fairly, and act where behaviour goes against policy. If the conduct is related to a protected characteristic (for example, sex, race, religion) it may cross the line into harassment under the Equality Act 2010.

Where sexual conduct is involved, employers now face a proactive duty to take reasonable steps to prevent it. And, in serious cases, a course of conduct causing alarm or distress can raise issues under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

Policy-wise, Amy encourages employers to be explicit that bullying “can occur in any direction,” so managers recognise their experience as valid. She suggests keeping the core definitions in your Dignity at Work / Anti-Bullying & Harassment policy, and cross-referencing to Grievance, Disciplinary and Social Media policies.

A fair, human process when a manager reports bullying

If any employee reports workplace bullying, the first step as an employer is to provide psychological safety. Thank the person for speaking up and triage any immediate risks. Offer confidential support – coaching, EAP, mental health first aid, or the opportunity to speak to a trusted wellbeing contact. As Amy puts it, “one-to-one coaching is often beneficial, and it gives the individual space to raise their concerns, and to think things through reflectively, while an investigation tests what’s substantiated and informs what recommendations and actions should follow.”

From there, agree the route. Some managers prefer to start informally, considering early, voluntary mediation to try to resolve any issues. “One of the good things about mediation is getting people together and helping them hear each other,” Amy says. “This can help to resolve issues before they spiral into more serious scenarios.”

Where allegations are serious, or informal efforts stall, employers should proceed to a formal investigation with clear scope, confidentiality parameters, and welfare touchpoints for all parties.

Prevention: culture work you can start now

Prevention is always the best route. Routine one-to-ones tend to focus on targets and tasks. Making time for regular welfare check-ins with employees can be really beneficial, too. “It’s important to really engage in active listening during those meetings to spot any red flags,” Amy advises. “Look for unexplained changes in demeanour – a once-gregarious manager suddenly becomes withdrawn, or a usually flexible team member turns oppositional – and offer an informal invitation to talk: You don’t seem quite yourself; is there anything I can help with? If they don’t open up at first, gentle persistence can demonstrate genuine care.”

For remote teams, build deliberate points of contact. “I’ve seen organisations introduce optional ‘talking time’ in managers’ calendars, where anyone can drop in, creating online informal social spaces that replicate the corridor chat.”

When you suspect a clique problem rather than an issue created by an individual, widen the lens. Amy has seen cultural listening exercises work well: “You get good engagement, as nobody feels the exercise is targeting them specifically. It’s more about improving the overall culture.” The output of these sessions is a team-level reset, with clarified accepted behaviours, commitments, and accountability.

Finally, treat known trigger points. Situations such as restructures, pay disparities, and internal promotions can all be moments where tensions rise, so they often require extra planning.

Bullying is about behaviour and impact, not hierarchy

As Amy and the team at Loch are increasingly seeing, managers are not immune to bullying behaviour, and the impacts can be felt across an organisation. As Amy sums up, “the duties of an employer are no different if there’s bullying behaviour happening. The direction in which it’s aimed doesn’t matter.”

If you would like support or guidance on bullying in the workplace, please get in touch with our team.