Once you’ve done your best to help your colleague, you can determine the best course of action to take regarding the other person.

If they’re a co-worker and you feel comfortable doing so, you could try talking to them directly. Or you could take the matter to their line managers or even to HR.

“HR will log complaints about employees; ask them first whether [your complaint] can be anonymous, depending on how you feel about it,” says Weber-Zuanigh. If there is only one complaint against someone, she says, HR may try to collect more information, but there is no guarantee it will go anywhere.

However, she adds that others will likely already have raised concerns: “With people perpetrating toxicity at work, it is often a pattern of behaviour, and chances are HR [have] already received a few complaints.” Your additional report will make it “harder for them to ignore” the issue.

And don’t forget to keep checking on your colleague. “Depending on how comfortable you are from a hierarchical point of view, maybe mention to their line manager to check on them too,” Weber-Zuanigh suggests.

Are you guilty of being a bystander to toxicity at work?