Are You Being Love-Bombed at Work? 

Are You Being Love-Bombed at Work? 

February 3, 2025

Have you ever received a lot of praise and compliments at work, as well as promises that were never kept when you first started with a company?

You’re not alone! In fact, this type of behaviour in the workplace has been deemed ‘love bombing,’ a term that has gained traction in the dating world in recent months and often involves one party showing the other excessive attention before abruptly pulling away.

So how can this behaviour manifest itself in the workplace?

We’ve spoken to Guy Thornton, founder of Practice Aptitude Tests, who has explained the key signs to look for when you are being love bombed at work and what you can do about it if you’re worried it’s happening to you.

What exactly is love bombing in the workplace?

Love bombing is a term that we’ve primarily seen associated with the dating world. It often describes a partner within a relationship that shows the other excessive amounts of attention and love, then “ghosts” them or pulls away abruptly with no explanation. The idea is to get the party they are love bombing to want and love them more, and worry about losing the attention that they have been receiving, forcing them to think of ways to keep the love and interest alive—essentially, it acts as a form of emotional manipulation.

However, like other dating terms, this behaviour has worked its way into office culture, being used as a sneaky tactic by other workers or those in positions of power to take advantage of a new starter, who is perhaps vulnerable or someone who seems easy to take advantage of and manipulate.

In the workplace, love bombing can often start by making a worker feel valued, praised or appreciated—in turn building their confidence and productivity in the workplace, which has benefits for both the worker and the person doing the love bombing.

However, this kind of consistent praise and reward from leadership excessively can damage employees’ mental and physical well-being. This is because it can create unrealistic expectations that become impossible to reach consistently and also lead to disappointment when the love bomber fails to deliver on promises that they once made. Not only that, but it can also foster an environment of toxicity, fear and intimidation, where employees feel afraid to speak out on their problems or leave the company over fears that it might backfire.

What are some of the signs you are being love bombed by your colleagues or boss?

With love bombing, often manifesting itself in the form of praise and compliments, it can often be hard to distinguish when the behaviour becomes manipulative.

Below, Thornton has highlighted some of the key signs to look for that your attention you are getting is more than just praise and nice feedback:

  • Feedback seems overwhelmingly positive and comes across as unrealistic. 

Even if you are a new employee or have been with the company for a long time, giving only praise and no suggestions for improvement, especially if you are still getting to know the company, can be a red flag.

  • When suddenly a good working relationship becomes sour. 

If you are being love-bombed, you may also notice that a relationship that was once positive suddenly becomes manipulative and toxic—this could be the result of asking for time off or disagreeing with their opinion on something.

  • Feeling shame about the situation and not telling anyone. 

You may also find that if the relationship turns sour with the person that love bombed you, you start hiding what’s been happening from others. You may feel embarrassed that it is happening or that you contributed to what caused their behaviour to change, so you decide not to tell anyone in fear of making things worse. 

So what can you do to avoid being love bombed in the future?

If you are worried about being love bombed at work, there are a few things you can do to prevent it.

  • Pushback where you can 

While it is not advisable to confront someone who is exhibiting narcissistic or manipulative behaviour, it may be beneficial to push back when possible. For example, if they are asking you to go for a coffee every day, ask them if someone else can join you or delay responding to them immediately so you aren’t agreeing with everything they say. 

  • Make friends with other colleagues

Where possible, especially if you are new to a place, try and get to know or spend time with a range of people within the business so that you don’t feel alone if the person that is love bombing you’s behaviour suddenly changes.

  • Speak to someone if it’s impacting your mental health 

In addition to befriending other colleagues in the business, if you believe you are being love bombed by someone, make sure to inform others about what is going on, as they may be able to stop the behaviour in its tracks.

As mentioned, often victims of love bombing in the workplace can feel embarrassed or ashamed because they feel that they may have contributed to the behaviour. But speaking to someone about what you are experiencing and how you are feeling can help take your emotional well-being at work.

  • Set healthy boundaries

Finally, if you can, make sure that you set some boundaries for yourself, as this can help to minimise a love bomber’s behaviour. This could be setting boundaries on how much time you spend with the person or how much you are willing to put up with in order to protect your mental well-being.

Brenda Berg is a professional writer with over 15 years experience in business management, marketing and entrepreneurship. Consultant and tutor for college students and entrepreneurs. She is passionate about covering topics on career, self-development, writing, blogging and others.