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Workplace ostracism doesn't just affect the victim; it has "ripple effects" across the organisation if witnessed by other employees, according to researchers.

"Witnessed workplace ostracism refers to an employee's perception of witnessing another employee being ignored or excluded when the social context demands their inclusion," the researchers, from UCLouvain in Belgium, report in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.

"These perceptions include – but are not limited to – noticing that a coworker is left out of an important meeting or seeing someone at work regularly and involuntarily eating lunch alone," they note.

This can lead to perceptions of "organisational dehumanisation", where the employer is viewed as one that doesn't value its workforce. In turn, this can result in physical symptoms (such as headaches and fatigue); decreased commitment to the organisation, and higher turnover...