When the High School Clique Never Graduates

You would think that once we leave high school, the whispering, cliques, and “mean girl” dynamics would stay behind with lockers and lunchtime tables.

But in many workplaces, they don’t.

Instead, they simply put on blazers, carry laptops, and attend meetings.

Workplace bullying isn’t rare. Research shows about 1 in 4 employees report being bullied at work, and women make up the majority of victims. 

Even more confronting is who the bullying often comes from.

When women are the bully, they target other women roughly 65–68% of the time, meaning female-to-female bullying is a significant dynamic in workplace culture. 

This behaviour rarely looks like the stereotypical aggressive bullying people imagine. Instead, it often mirrors the “catty” social tactics many remember from school:

• Gossip and reputation damage

• Social exclusion or silent treatment

• Undermining credibility in meetings

• Withholding information needed to succeed

• Passive-aggressive comments or public embarrassment

In fact, over half of workplace bullying involves gossip or social exclusion, rather than direct confrontation. 

And it doesn’t just hurt feelings. It affects careers.

Studies show bullying can reduce job performance, block promotions, and push talented employees out of organisations entirely. 

Why does this happen?

Workplace psychologists often point to something called “scarcity mentality.”

For decades, women were told there was only room for a few of them at the top. When leadership roles feel limited, some women start viewing other women as competition rather than collaborators. 

The result?

Instead of lifting each other up, the environment becomes territorial.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Professional success shouldn’t require tearing someone else down.

Leadership isn’t defined by who you exclude, undermine, or gossip about.

It’s defined by who grows because you were in the room.

Maybe the real mark of maturity isn’t age, title, or years of experience.

Maybe it’s whether you finally leave the high school behaviour behind.