The Relationship between Workplace Bullying and Depression: The Roles of Psychological Safety and Supervisor and Co-worker Compassion

Employee well-being, along with its associated barriers and improvement strategies, has become an escalating concern for researchers and organizations worldwide. This study examined the mechanism behind workplace bullying and depression, exploring the role of psychological safety as a mediating factor. Additionally, we investigated the potential impact of organizational compassion, distinguishing between supervisor and co-worker compassion, as a means of supporting employees subjected to workplace bullying. Based on an analysis of 392 online survey responses from full-time employees in South Korea, our findings demonstrate that workplace bullying undermines psychological safety, resulting in increased depression rates among employees. As anticipated, supervisor compassion mitigated the adverse effect of workplace bullying, whereas co-worker compassion did not exhibit the same moderating effect. These results emphasize the importance of fostering a supportive and compassionate work environment led by supervisors to lessen the strain on employee well-being. Theoretical and practical implications, along with directions for future research, are discussed.