Picture this — George, the General Manager of a well-known Australian energy company, leans back in his chair, bored with the usual parade of candidates applying to be his new Executive Assistant. He wants something different, something thrilling.
“Let’s make it interesting,” he tells Sarah, his trusted Office Manager. And then, with an air of misplaced genius, he unveils his big idea: an office version of The Hunger Games. “Let’s put them through a series of grueling tests,” he says, grinning. “Whoever survives gets the job.”
Sarah, caught between the absurdity and reality of what she’s hearing, is tasked with executing this gladiator-style hiring process, turning a professional opportunity into a psychological battlefield.
Sounds fictional, doesn’t it? Like some dystopian nightmare cooked up by a cynical playwright. But if you think this is nothing more than an exaggerated tale, think again. Because this kind of behaviour — though extreme — is not unheard of. In fact, it’s happening more often than we’d like to admit.
The numbers paint a grim picture. According to a recent 2024 study, between 46% and 52% of women have faced workplace bullying or harassment in the last three years. What’s even more unsettling? More than half of it comes from other women. And it’s not just an inconvenience — it’s impacting health, careers, and even lives. Women experiencing such workplace toxicity report higher levels of stress-related illnesses. Some cases have had devastating, even fatal, consequences.
So why aren’t we talking about it? There are several reasons this issue remains shrouded in silence:
We Don’t Know Enough About It
It’s shocking how little research and published information exist on this topic. Workplace bullying among women often plays out in subtle, insidious ways that leave victims questioning whether they’re imagining it. Gaslighting, exclusion, psychological manipulation — these behaviours aren’t as easily identifiable as yelling or overt harassment.
Not All Bad Behaviour is the Same
Being rude, being a jerk, and actively bullying someone are not interchangeable concepts. Misunderstanding the differences leads to confusion, making it harder to call out genuinely toxic behaviors. Take George’s twisted hiring game, for example. On paper, it may have seemed like an “unorthodox” screening method. But in reality, it was psychological warfare — a cruel, tormenting exercise designed to break down the competitors.
Calling It Out Feels Like Betrayal
Women who speak up against toxic workplace behaviour often face backlash — not just from men, but from other women. When psychologist Meredith Fuller wrote Working with Bitches, the response was swift and brutal. She wasn’t applauded for shedding light on a serious workplace issue; instead, she was attacked for supposedly deepening divisions among women.
Speaking Up Can Cost You Your Career
Let’s be honest — there’s a price to pay for calling out bad behavior. Women who challenge toxic colleagues, managers, or workplace cultures risk being labeled as “difficult,” “petty,” or “overly sensitive.” Research shows that women who protest mistreatment are more likely to be overlooked for promotions and career opportunities. And here’s the kicker — this judgment doesn’t just come from men; it comes from other women too.
The Sisterhood Paradox
Society has ingrained an expectation that women should be supportive, warm, and collaborative. When they aren’t, they risk being seen as cold, ruthless, or outright mean. The paradox is that simply not supporting another woman doesn’t automatically make someone a bully — but it can easily be perceived that way. This misunderstanding adds yet another layer of silence around an already taboo issue.
Modern workplaces are an ideal breeding ground for female in-fighting. When there’s limited room for women at the top, it’s easy to fall into competition rather than collaboration. And unfortunately, the bullies are still getting ahead while the good ones are left behind. But here’s the reality: in this brutal system, nobody wins. Not really. It’s just a never-ending game of survival — until the next round of toxic competition begins.
The silence isn’t serving anyone. It’s time to shift the conversation.
What’s needed isn’t just awareness — it’s action. A conscious effort to create networks of true allies, both men and women, who foster workplace cultures where everyone can thrive, not just survive. Because if we keep letting the office battlefield go unchecked, we’ll keep losing the very talent, innovation, and leadership that the workplace desperately needs. And women will continue to be relegated to the sidelines, losing the race for gender equality at breakneck speed.
The only way forward? Breaking the silence together so that everybody wins.
About the Author
Vanessa Vershaw is the author of The Sisterhood Paradox: The Psychology of Female Aggression at Work (Publish Central $34.95). She is an elite high-performance workplace psychologist and trusted advisor to executives and key decision-makers of ASX-20 and Fortune 100 companies globally. Find out more at vanessavershaw.com.
