Work ability and risk of turnover for bystanders to workplace bullying.

We investigated two possible outcomes for bystanders to workplace bullying: sickness absence and turnover. Specifically, we examined the direct risks for three categories of witnesses: currently bullied witnesses, previously bullied witnesses, and pure witnesses without any personal experience of bullying. We also explored mechanisms that may explain these outcomes. Sleep problems and sickness presenteeism were analyzed as mediators of sickness absence, while job satisfaction and turnover intent were examined as mediators of turnover. The study was based on a prospective probability sample of the Swedish workforce. The results showed that witnessing bullying affects subsequent sickness absence and turnover across all three categories of witnesses. Turnover was preceded by reduced job satisfaction, followed by an intention to quit, while sickness absence was preceded by sleep problems and presenteeism. These findings may be explained by the cognitive activation theory of stress, which suggests that witnessing bullying can increase cognitive activation, potentially leading to health-related problems if prolonged. Additionally, reduced job satisfaction and intention to quit may stem from the hostile work environments often associated with bullying. These results highlight the importance of implementing preventive measures to reduce the risk of bullying, not only for the targets but also for the organization as a whole.