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Workplace hazing: spotting the behaviours that undermine integration

Published on October 6, 2026 · 6 min read

Being left out, information withheld, mockery "just for fun": in some teams, newcomers have to earn their place the hard way. This unspoken hazing slows down integration, damages confidence and ends up costing the company dearly. Here is how to recognise it, what the law provides and how to respond.

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This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change: always check the version in force on the official websites listed at the bottom of the page.

Workplace hazing: what are we talking about?

The word first brings to mind universities or sports clubs. Yet similar practices exist in companies: a newcomer is put to the test, kept at a distance or belittled to "test" their place in the team. These behaviours are often presented as a tradition, a way of "building character". In reality, they teach nothing about the job and undermine the dignity of the person who endures them.

Workplace hazing is different from a demanding welcome. Setting clear objectives, correcting a mistake or asking for rigour are part of the job. Humiliating, isolating or setting someone up to fail are not.

Behaviours that make integration difficult

Workplace hazing rarely takes the form of a spectacular ritual. It usually builds up through small actions that seem harmless one by one:

The warning sign is repetition. A one-off oversight is not hazing; exclusion that lasts for weeks is.

A different impact depending on experience

An employee with several years in the profession often has the reference points needed to step back. They know that one team's atmosphere is not the norm, they know the value of their work and find it easier to raise the issue with management.

For a recent graduate or someone in their first job, the situation is harder. Without a point of comparison, they may believe this treatment is normal, or that they are the cause of the problem. The consequences are well known: loss of self-confidence, stress, difficulty asking questions, then the urge to resign. A failed integration can leave a lasting mark at the start of a career.

When a newcomer reproduces these behaviours

Hazing does not always come from long-standing staff. Sometimes a recently hired person tries to assert themselves by belittling more experienced colleagues: condescending remarks, constant questioning of established methods, seeking allies to isolate a colleague.

This behaviour has nothing to do with age or qualifications: it reflects a lack of interpersonal skills, which can appear at any stage of a career. The company's responsibility is to set a framework from day one: present the team's ground rules, appoint a point of contact and react quickly if a new employee adopts a domineering attitude. Letting it slide sends the message that such behaviour is acceptable.

Cliques and behind-the-scenes influence

In some teams, a small group exerts influence far beyond its official role. It does not always speak openly: it works through a trusted person in the right place, who passes its version of events on to the manager.

A few signs should raise concern:

Any manager can be influenced if they rely on a single source of information. It is not a question of personality, but of method.

The manager's role

The manager is the first line of defence against hazing. A few simple habits limit abuses:

  1. Personally welcome each newcomer and introduce the team, tools and rules.
  2. Listen to all parties before forming an opinion on a conflict.
  3. Check the facts reported rather than relying on a single person.
  4. Make it clear to the whole team that mockery and exclusion are not acceptable.
  5. Hold regular check-ins with the new employee during their first weeks.

Reporting is not complaining

An employee who raises the alarm about degrading behaviour is not "someone who complains". Reporting humiliation, exclusion or a rumour is legitimate, whatever their gender, age or length of service.

Of course, a well-founded report must be distinguished from a simple disagreement about working methods. That is precisely the manager's role: to examine the facts seriously, without brushing the report aside and without condemning without evidence.

Recognising those who work hard

Every team has colleagues, women and men, who keep their commitments, help newcomers and lift the team up without crushing anyone. They are the ones to highlight.

Recognising their work is also a way to fight hazing: when a company values competence and mutual support, power games and humiliation lose their appeal.

What the law says

In France, the offence of hazing under Article 225-16-1 of the Criminal Code concerns events and gatherings linked to educational and socio-educational settings, and is punishable by 6 months' imprisonment and a €7,500 fine. It therefore does not directly target the workplace.

At work, the rules on moral harassment apply. Article L1152-1 of the Labour Code prohibits repeated acts that degrade an employee's working conditions and may harm their rights, dignity, health or career prospects. The employer must take all necessary measures to prevent such acts (Article L1152-4), and any employee who commits them is liable to disciplinary action (Article L1152-5).

In Morocco, the Labour Code does not define moral harassment. However, Article 40 lists sexual harassment and any form of violence or aggression directed at an employee among the employer's serious misconduct. Article 39, for its part, lists serious insults and physical assault committed at work among an employee's serious misconduct.

What to do if you are affected

A successful integration does not happen by chance: it relies on a clear welcome, an attentive manager and a team that treats every newcomer as a colleague, not an intruder.

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