Emotional and Psychological Impact on HR Professional in Pakistan in Response to Employee Blackmail and Threatening Behaviour

Abstract

This study examines the emotional and psychological impact of employee hostility on HR professionals in Pakistan, focusing on threats, blackmail, verbal abuse, and external escalation during disciplinary and termination processes. While workplace aggression has been widely studied from the perspective of general employees, HR professionals remain an under-researched group despite their frequent exposure to hostility. Guided by Affective Events Theory (AET), the study explores how repeated hostile workplace incidents trigger immediate emotional reactions that gradually develop into long-term psychological outcomes. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 HR professionals from public, private, multinational, and non-profit organizations, selected through purposive sampling. NVivo-based thematic analysis revealed two overarching themes: emotional impact and psychological impact. Findings show that HR professionals experience immediate emotional responses such as fear, anxiety, stress, and emotional fatigue, which, when repeatedly encountered without adequate organizational support, accumulate into psychological outcomes including insomnia, rumination, burnout, and reduced job satisfaction. The study underscores the need for organizations to recognize employee hostility toward HR professionals as a significant workplace risk and to implement targeted measures such as clearer policies, leadership support, and psychological safety initiatives to protect HR professionals’ well-being.