In the United States alone, it is estimated that that more than 53.5 million Americans have been victims of bullying at work. As one of the largest private-sector employers in the United States, it stands to reason that the foodservice industry is exceedingly susceptible to this workplace phenomenon. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of workplace bullying behaviors in the foodservice industry. A survey of 440 hospitality workers indicated that foodservice workers witness exclusion, verbal abuse, sexual intimidation, inappropriate jokes, teasing, and mean pranks significantly more frequently than non-foodservice hospitality workers. Practical implications and recommendations for future study are provided.
