Victims of office bullying are more likely to have high levels of stress, which in turn leads to a host of mental and physical ailments, a new study has found.

The research, performed by Dana Yagil of the University of Haifa in Isreal, found that employees who suffer bullying at the hands of their bosses try to cope by looking for support from co-workers and avoiding the bully. These tactics actually have a negative effect on the worker, as they increase stress levels and prolong the employee’s fear of their supervisor.