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Most of us assume bullying is something we age out of by middle school, high school at the latest. By the time youre a professionalespecially one with credentials, experience, and a résumé you worked hard foryou expect a baseline of mutual respect. And yet. If youve spent enough time in workplaces, on boards, or in other community organizations, youve probably had that moment where your stomach tightens in a meeting and youre not entirely sure why. A comment lands sideways. A tone shifts. Someone interrupts you for the third time. You walk away replaying the exchange, wondering whether you imagined it or whether something subtle but unmistakable just happened. That confusion is often the first sign youre dealing with a workplace bully. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/cupofambition.png","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/cupofambition-mobile.png","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cstrong\u003ESubscribe to A Cup of Ambition\u003C\/strong\u003E","dek":"A biweekly newsletter for high-achieving moms who value having a meaningful career \u003Cem\u003Eand\u003C\/em\u003E being an involved parent, by Jessica Wilen. To learn more visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/acupofambition.substack.com\/\u0022\u003Eacupofambition.substack.com\u003C\/a\u003E.","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"SIGN UP","ctaUrl":"https:\/\/acupofambition.substack.com\/","theme":{"bg":"#f5f5f5","text":"#000000","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","buttonBg":"#000000","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText":"#ffffff"},"imageDesktopId":91454061,"imageMobileId":91454062,"shareable":false,"slug":""}} Wait, whats going on? Explosive behavior at work is disorienting precisely because it violates the story were told about professionalism. Were taught that adult leadership comes with emotional control. So when someone yells, slams a table, or lashes out publicly, people scramble to explain it away. It gets framed as stress. Passion. A bad day. A one-off. Individually, each outburst can be rationalized. Collectively, they form a pattern. These incidents tend to look like sudden escalations in meetings, disproportionate reactions to small problems, or public reprimands that feel designed to humiliate rather than correct. The volume may drop later, but the message sticks: this person can explode, and you dont want to be the target. Over time, the workplace begins to organize itself around that volatility: People self-censor, meetings narrow, feedback travels sideways instead of up, and decisions get made to avoid triggering another episode rather than to serve the work itself. At that point, the outbursts are no longer just moments of poor regulation. Theyve become a mechanism of control. This isnt about communication style or personality. Its about power and the use of fear and unpredictability to enforce it. Power is the throughline Bullies rely on ambiguity and asymmetry. They say just enough to destabilize you, but not enough to get themselves in trouble. They benefit from your hesitationyour desire to be reasonable, professional, and not make a thing out of nothing. And often, theyre counting on the fact that you have more to lose than they do. This is where so much well-meaning advice falls flat. Telling someone to just address it directly ignores the very real calculations people are making about hierarchy, reputation, and risk. Before we talk about what to do, its worth naming how context shapes the experience. What helps in the moment When something inappropriate happens in real time, your nervous system often takes over before your language does. Thats normal. The goal isnt to deliver a perfect response, but rather have a few low-drama phrases available that interrupt the behavior without escalating it. A few examples: Can you clarify what you mean by that? I want to pause for a secondI wasnt finished. Im open to feedback, just not in this format. Lets keep this focused on the work. Id rather discuss that privately. These responses work not because theyre confrontational, but because theyre steady. They shift the interaction back to neutral ground and signal that youre paying attention. If you dont say anything in the moment, that doesnt mean you missed your chance. The quieter work that matters more What happens after the interaction often matters more than what happens during it. Start by documenting patterns, not impressions. Include dates, contexts, exact language, who was present, and what the impact was. This isnt about building a case right away; its about anchoring yourself in facts when self-doubt starts creeping in. Then, reality-test with care. Choose people who are perceptive and discreetnot those who default to minimizing or catastrophizing. Ask specific questions. Did you notice X? tends to be more useful than Am I crazy? When the bully is your boss This is where advice needs to be especially honest. When the person mistreating you controls your evaluations, assignments, or future opportunities, the calculus shifts. Speaking up isnt just about courage; its about strategy. HR may feel unsafe. Direct confrontation may backfire. Silence may feel like the only viable optionfor now. If youre in this position and wondering why it feels so hard to just say something, thats not weakness, its being realistic. If your manager is the problem, direct confrontation may not be the safest or most effective option. In these cases, the most important question isnt how to change them, its how to protect yourself. That might mean keeping communication in writing. Looping others into key conversations. Reducing exposure where possible. Building alliances quietly. Exploring internal transfers. Updating your résumé before you think you need to. Leaving is not a failure. Staying and absorbing chronic disrespect is not resilience. Over time, it erodes your confidence in ways that can be surprisingly hard to undo. The myth of just be more professional People dealing with workplace bullying are often toldexplicitly or implicitlyto be more professional. What this usually translates to is being quieter, more accommodating, and less visibly affected. Professionalism does not require self-erasure. It requires judgment. It requires discernment. And sometimes, it requires deciding that an environment is incompatible with your values or your well-beingeven if you could technically survive it. What bullying really costs One of the most under-discussed aspects of workplace bullying is how much energy it consumes. The mental replaying. The strategizing. The vigilance. All of that cognitive load gets diverted away from creativity, leadership, and actual satisfaction in your work. Over time, people dont just lose confidence; they lose range, they speak less, take fewer risks and shrink their presence in rooms where they once belonged comfortably. Addressing bullying isnt about winning or proving toughness. Its about reclaiming agency. Sometimes that looks like speaking up. Sometimes it looks like documenting and planning. Sometimes it looks like choosing a different room altogether. What matters most is making those choices consciously, without self-blame, and with a clear-eyed understanding of what you deserve at work. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/cupofambition.png","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/cupofambition-mobile.png","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cstrong\u003ESubscribe to A Cup of Ambition\u003C\/strong\u003E","dek":"A biweekly newsletter for high-achieving moms who value having a meaningful career \u003Cem\u003Eand\u003C\/em\u003E being an involved parent, by Jessica Wilen. To learn more visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/acupofambition.substack.com\/\u0022\u003Eacupofambition.substack.com\u003C\/a\u003E.","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"SIGN UP","ctaUrl":"https:\/\/acupofambition.substack.com\/","theme":{"bg":"#f5f5f5","text":"#000000","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","buttonBg":"#000000","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText":"#ffffff"},"imageDesktopId":91454061,"imageMobileId":91454062,"shareable":false,"slug":""}}
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E-Commerce
After 50, too many women reduce their working hours, become trapped in lower-quality jobs, or exit the labor market altogether. Part-time employment becomes more prevalent as women age. The gender gap widens. For women, this means lower lifetime earnings and significantly smaller pensions. Many are calling this phenomenon the menopause penaltya midlife equivalent of the motherhood penalty. And indeed, research suggests that womens earnings drop in the years following a menopause diagnosis. But while menopause clearly plays a role, there is a risk in attributing these economic setbacks too narrowly to biology. Doing so not only oversimplifies womens lived realitiesit also medicalizes what are fundamentally social and organizational problems. Menopause matters. But it rarely acts alone. A convergence of pressures and setbacks Midlife is often the most demanding phase of womens lives. Menopause tends to coincide with a series of other life shocks that disproportionately affect women. Caregiving responsibilities intensify: aging parents begin to need support, while many women are still helping children or even grandchildren. The sandwich generation is squeezed between upward and downward care. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2026\/01\/PhotoLVitaud-169.jpg","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2026\/01\/PhotoLVitaud-11.jpg","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cstrong\u003ESubscribe to Laetitia@Work\u003C\/strong\u003E","dek":"Women power the worlds productivity its time we talked more about it. Explore a woman-centered take on work, from hidden discrimination to cultural myths about aging and care. Dont miss the next issue subscribe to Laetitia@Work.","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"Learn More","ctaUrl":"http:\/\/laetitiaatwork.substack.com","theme":{"bg":"#2b2d30","text":"#ffffff","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","buttonBg":"#3b3f46","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText":"#ffffff"},"imageDesktopId":91472264,"imageMobileId":91472265,"shareable":false,"slug":""}} Meanwhile, serious health risks increaseincluding breast cancer and chronic illness. Divorce is also common in midlife and comes with major financial and emotional consequences. The death of a parent is another major shock that frequently occurs in midlife and is largely invisible in workplace thinkinggrief doesnt fit into a few days of leave but often brings lasting exhaustion and difficulty concentrating. Overlay all of this with growing exposure to ageism in the workplace and it becomes clear that menopause is rarely the only culprit. Yes, symptoms such as fatigue, hot flashes, or brain fog can make work harder to sustain. But menopause comes at a moment of cumulative strain. It does not create the inequalities. It amplifies those that already exist. When work refuses to adapt Many jobs are still designed for a worker who is endlessly available, physically resilient, emotionally stable, and largely free from caregiving responsibilities. Menopause symptoms collide with these unrealistic expectations. Instead of redesigning workadjusting schedules, reducing unnecessary presenteeism, offering autonomy, improving ergonomic conditions and workplaces, or recognizing fluctuating capacityorganizations implicitly ask women to adapt their bodies. And when they cannot, the choices available are reducing hours, stepping back from responsibility, refusing promotions, accepting less visible roles, or leaving work altogether. From the outside, this looks like individual preference. Thats why the menopause penalty looks exactly like the motherhood penalty. Neither is caused simply by biology. Both result from the collision between life stages and rigid work systems built around male, uninterrupted career norms. The penalty is also reinforced by stereotypes. Menopause is still associated with emotional volatility, decline, and loss of competence. Many women fear being perceived as less reliable or less ambitious. Some avoid high-visibility projects. Others turn down leadership roles or client-facing positions simply because they fear exposure. Menopause stereotypes are like sexism on steroids. Economically, the menopause penalty represents a massive loss of human capital. Women in their late 40s, 50s, and early 60s often hold their highest levels of skill, institutional knowledge, and professional experience. When they reduce hours or leave work prematurely, organizations lose leadership potential, mentoring capacity, and expertise. The danger of medicalizing inequality There is an increasing push to frame menopause primarily as a health issue requiring medical solutionsmore awareness campaigns, more diagnoses, more treatments. Dont get me wrong: better healthcare really does matter. Too many women suffer unnecessarily because of lack of information, poor medical support, or lingering fears around hormone therapies. For those with severe symptoms, treatment can be life-changing. But there is a real risk in making menopause the central explanation for midlife economic inequality. When reduced earnings or stalled careers are blamed mainly on hormonal changes, it obscures the role of workplaces, the gendered division of unpaid work, insufficient care infrastructure, ageism, and broader social, political, and corporate issues. It suggests that if women simply managed their symptoms better, the problem would disappear. We often medicalize social problems. For example, we prescribe antidepressants without addressing poverty, violence, overwork, or isolation. Hormone therapy may ease hot flashes and prevent osteoporosis (and thats a lot). But it wont pay the rent, restart a stalled career, restore lost pension rights, or compensate for years of unpaid care work. Pills dont fix ageism. They dont erase structural inequality. Lets redesign work for long lives 1. Design work for sustainability. Most jobs are still built around an ideal worker who is always available, endlessly energetic, and free from responsibilities outside work. This model breaks down over long working lives. Companies should rethink workloads, hours, and performance expectations to allow for fluctuating capacity over time. Focusing on outputs rather than presence, reducing unnecessary urgency, and normalizing lower-intensity periods would make careers more sustainable. 2. Make flexibility the norm. When flexible working is treated as an exception, it carries invisible penalties (slower progression, reduced visibility). To avoid turning flexibility into a career trap, companies should offer autonomy over hours and location by default and ensure flexible workers are not sidelined. 3. Confront ageism head-on. Many midlife career setbacks for women are inseparable from age discrimination. Employers should track pay, promotions, and evaluations by age and gender, challenge stereotypes in leadership cultures, and ensure development opportunities exist throughout careers. 4. Recognize caregiving as a normal life-stage reality. Midlife is often when care responsibilities peakfor aging parents, ill relatives, or extended familyyet workplace policies remain focused on early parenthood. Companies should expand support to include eldercare flexibility. When caregiving is ignored or treated as a personal inconvenience, many women quietly reduce hours or exit. 5. Address menopause openly. Raising awareness and training managers can reduce stigma and improve support. But if rigid schedules, long hours, and unforgiving performance models remain, women are left to manage symptoms within broken systems. Menopause initiatives must go hand in hand with reforms in job design, flexibility, and inclusionor risk becoming symbolic rather than effective. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2026\/01\/PhotoLVitaud-169.jpg","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2026\/01\/PhotoLVitaud-11.jpg","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cstrong\u003ESubscribe to Laetitia@Work\u003C\/strong\u003E","dek":"Women power the worlds productivity its time we talked more about it. Explore a woman-centered take on work, from hidden discrimination to cultural myths about aging and care. Dont miss the next issue subscribe to Laetitia@Work.","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"Learn More","ctaUrl":"http:\/\/laetitiaatwork.substack.com","theme":{"bg":"#2b2d30","text":"#ffffff","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","buttonBg":"#3b3f46","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText":"#ffffff"},"imageDesktopId":91472264,"imageMobileId":91472265,"shareable":false,"slug":""}}
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E-Commerce
Housing affordability is a top concern for many Americans, and both chambers of Congress have been advancing legislation to help prospective homeownersthough it may take years for those benefits to actually materialize. This past week, the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill called the Housing for the 21st Century Act, which aims to increase the supply of affordable housing. That sets the stage for some political wrangling ahead. The Senate previously passed its own bipartisan legislation in October as part of a broader package, before it was stripped from the final bill, and it is now considering the stand-alone bill, the ROAD to Housing Act. Ultimately, the two chambers must agree on a final version of a housing bill that will also get support from President Donald Trump. The legislation targets a top concern for Americans. More than 6 in 10 adults (62%) say they are very concerned about the cost of housingtrailing only behind the cost of healthcare (71%) and the price of food and consumer goods (66%), according to the results of a survey of more than 8,500 people conducted by the Pew Research Center in late January. The Houses legislation marks an important step forward, even if it wont magically fix a crisis that has developed over time and will be similarly resolved in time, according to David M. Dworkin, president and CEO of the National Housing Conference, a nonprofit thats focused on affordable housing. We got into this crisis one unit at a time, and we will get out of it the same wayone unit at a timethrough a range of coordinated strategies that expand supply, reduce costs, and improve access to affordable homes, Dworkin said in a statement celebrating the passage of the legislation. Even though it could take time to benefit prospective homeowners, here is how the House bill addresses housing affordability. MODERNIZES FEDERAL HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS One of the primary goals of the Houses legislation is to streamline the federal and local housing process so that more housing can be built more quickly. And among the densest sections of the 202-page legislation is the section focused on modernizing local development and rural housing programs. The legislation takes aim at revising federal housing programs to eliminate regulatory bottlenecks and expand financing for affordable housing. The legislation also expands how funds can be used to include paying for new construction. INCREASES ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT PROGRAMS Another major goal of the House legislation is to ensure that federal grant programs reach a broader segment of the population. The legislation significantly expands the criteria to qualify for existing housing grants. One such example is adjusting the HOME Investment Partnerships Program so that income eligibility caps are raised to 100% of the median-family income of the area, and so the program can support more middle-income families. The bill also introduces new grants that are designed to incentivize local entities to reform their land-use policies and update zoning codes. These grants again target potential local regulatory hurdles that have deterred investment in affordable housing. FAST-TRACKS ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS Again targeting potential barriers to construction activities, the legislation streamlines the review process required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by exempting certain housing-related activities. Specifically, the bill creates categorical exclusions for certain smaller-scale projects. The legislation also eliminates duplicative environmental reviews so that housing thats received approval for one federal assistance program doesnt have to undergo another review if the scope, scale, and location of the project remain substantially unchanged. MODERNIZES MANUFACTURED HOUSING STANDARDS Finally, the bill envisions a future of more manufactured housing by again changing some of the requirements related to this type of construction that might address the availability of affordable housing. One of the biggest changes this legislation makes is that it strikes just four words from legislation thats been on the books for more than 50 years: It eliminates the requirement that manufactured homes must be constructed with a permanent chassis. It also updates the construction and safety standards for manufactured homes. IMPACT ON HOMEBUYERS Even though it will take time for these changes to roll through the system and benefit prospective homebuyers, trade groups across the various facets of the housing industry celebrated the passage of the House bill. That said, there could be some hurdles to getting a final piece of legislation across the linepartly because President Trump is pressing Republicans to include a measure that will curb large investors purchases of single-family homes. Even so, advocates are optimistic that bipartisan support of housing affordability legislation will continue. Bold action to expand supply and remove barriers to homeownership has never been more urgent, Shannon McGahn, executive vice president and chief advocacy officer for the National Association of Realtors, said in a statement. This legislation takes a comprehensive approach to increasing housing production, modernizing critical federal programs, and strengthening pathways to credit and homeownership.
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