· ShiftFlow Editorial Team · Glossary · 5 min read
What Is Workplace Ostracism? Definition, Examples & Guide
Learn what workplace ostracism means, how social exclusion impacts team members and performance, signs of ostracism in shift-based teams, legal implications, and strategies to prevent and address exclusionary behavior at work.
What Is Workplace Ostracism?
Workplace ostracism is the deliberate exclusion, ignoring, or social isolation of an individual by coworkers or supervisors. This includes being left out of conversations, meetings, or social activities, having contributions ignored, receiving the silent treatment, or being treated as invisible despite being physically present.
Research from the Journal of Applied Psychology shows that 71% of workers experience workplace ostracism at some point in their careers, with significant impacts on mental health, job performance, and retention.
Quick Answer
Workplace ostracism is when coworkers or managers deliberately exclude, ignore, or isolate someone at work—more subtle than bullying but equally damaging, affecting 71% of workers at some point.
What Are Examples of Workplace Ostracism?
Social exclusion: Deliberately not inviting someone to team lunches or social events while including others; conversations ending when they approach; isolated seating arrangements.
Professional exclusion: Omitting team members from relevant meetings; excluding from group chats or email threads; ignoring their input; withholding information needed for their work.
Active ignoring: Silent treatment; avoiding eye contact; ignoring emails and messages while responding to others; providing only minimal, curt responses.
Ostracism vs Bullying vs Boundaries
| Aspect | Ostracism | Bullying | Professional Boundaries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature | Passive exclusion | Active harassment | Appropriate distance |
| Visibility | Subtle, hard to prove | Often overt | Transparent, consistent |
| Intent | Deliberate rejection | Intent to harm | Maintaining standards |
| Target | Specific individual(s) | Specific individual(s) | Applied equally |
| Impact | Isolation, psychological harm | Fear, intimidation | Neutral, no harm |
Ostracism is passive exclusion. Bullying involves active aggression like verbal abuse or sabotage. Professional boundaries are consistent standards applied equally, not targeted exclusion.
How Does Workplace Ostracism Affect Performance and Wellbeing?
Individual effects: Increased anxiety and depression, reduced self-esteem, decreased job satisfaction, 25% lower performance, higher stress, and physical health problems. According to SHRM workplace research, ostracized workers are 67% more likely to quit within a year.
Team and organizational effects: Reduced cohesion, lower productivity, toxic culture, knowledge loss as ostracized workers stop contributing, legal and financial risks, and damaged reputation affecting recruitment.
Why Does Workplace Ostracism Occur?
Interpersonal conflicts: Personality clashes, perceived threats from newcomers, or gossip triggering group rejection.
Group dynamics: In-group favoritism, scapegoating individuals for team problems, or conformity pressure to exclude others.
Organizational factors: Poor leadership that ignores or models exclusionary behavior, competitive cultures, lack of accountability, or shift-based isolation where different shifts develop separate cultures excluding rotating workers.
Discrimination: Ostracism based on protected characteristics (race, gender, age, disability, religion) or retaliation against those who reported problems.
Ostracism in Shift-Based Teams
Limited overlap between different shifts makes exclusion easier. Each shift may develop its own culture, ostracizing workers who rotate between shifts. Communication gaps and informal networks built during specific shifts naturally exclude those working different hours.
Common scenarios include day shift excluding night shift from planning, established crews ostracizing new hires, full-time team members excluding PRN staff, or excluding workers with flexible schedules from social groups.
What Are the Legal Implications of Workplace Ostracism?
When illegal: Ostracism based on protected characteristics (race, gender, age, religion, disability) violates Title VII, ADA, and ADEA according to EEOC guidance. Retaliating against those who filed complaints creates liability. Severe ostracism targeting protected groups creates hostile work environments.
When not illegal: General social exclusion for non-protected reasons may violate policies but not employment laws. Personal choices about socializing outside work are generally protected.
Employer liability: Employers face liability when management knew about ostracism and failed to act, when supervisors participated, or when ostracism was discriminatory or retaliatory.
How Can You Prevent Workplace Ostracism?
For employers: Model inclusive behavior; address exclusionary actions immediately; create structured team activities ensuring participation; rotate assignments to prevent cliques; ensure equal communication access; investigate complaints seriously; provide training on inclusive behaviors.
For team members: Include new people deliberately; speak up when noticing exclusion; question inappropriate omissions from meetings or events; build cross-shift relationships through group chats; avoid participating in gossip that leads to collective ostracism.
How Should You Address Workplace Ostracism?
Manager actions: Investigate thoroughly; address behavior directly with private conversations; set clear expectations for inclusive behavior; monitor compliance; provide support to affected individuals; escalate when behavior continues.
Individual actions: Document specific incidents with dates and details; address excluders directly when safe; report through formal channels; seek support from colleagues, mentors, or counselors; understand your legal rights; preserve evidence.
Is This Workplace Ostracism or Professional Boundaries?
✅ Likely ostracism if:
- Exclusion targets specific individuals while including others
- Pattern is consistent and deliberate rather than occasional
- Exclusion extends to work-related communications and decisions
- Person being excluded feels isolated, ignored, and psychologically harmed
⚠️ May be professional boundaries if:
- Distance is maintained equally with all team members
- Behavior is consistent, transparent, and non-targeted
- Limited social interaction doesn’t prevent necessary work communication
- No deliberate pattern of ignoring contributions or isolating individuals
Try ShiftFlow’s collaboration tools to manage inclusive teams with scheduling, messaging, and workforce management features that keep everyone connected.
Further Reading
- Group Chat Best Practices – Inclusive team communication
- Catch-Up Meeting Guide – Regular manager check-ins
- Career Progression Planning – Supporting development for all
Frequently Asked Questions
What is workplace ostracism?
The deliberate exclusion, ignoring, or social isolation of an individual by coworkers or supervisors. This includes being left out of conversations, meetings, or social activities, having contributions ignored, or being treated as invisible. Research shows 71% of workers experience it at some point.
Is workplace ostracism illegal?
Workplace ostracism is illegal if based on protected characteristics (race, gender, age, religion, disability) or used as retaliation. If it creates a hostile work environment, it violates employment laws. General exclusion without discriminatory basis may violate policies but not necessarily laws.
How does workplace ostracism affect employees?
Ostracism causes decreased job satisfaction, increased anxiety and depression, lower productivity (25% worse performance), higher stress, increased absenteeism, and higher turnover (67% more likely to quit within a year according to SHRM research).
Sources
- Journal of Applied Psychology – Research on workplace ostracism effects, prevalence, and psychological harm
- Society for Human Resource Management – Workplace ostracism prevalence, impact studies, and prevention strategies
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission – Hostile work environment and discrimination guidance
- American Psychological Association – Social exclusion and psychological wellbeing research
