Criticized at work
The Buddha said blame comes to the well-taught noble disciple and the untaught ordinary person alike; the difference is whether it takes over the mind. The Dhammapada adds that someone who points out your faults can be pointing the way to buried treasure, when they are intelligent and impartial. The Simile of the Saw gives five ways anyone may speak to you, which helps sort the true part of a criticism from the harsh delivery. The suttas do not say criticism should not hurt. If it has become a pattern of humiliation or harassment, that is a matter for HR or someone outside the team before it is a practice question.
What the suttas say
Mendicants, there are these five ways in which others might criticize you. Their speech may be timely or untimely, true or false, gentle or harsh, beneficial or harmful, from a heart of love or from secret hate.
How to receive speech, including unfair speech.
MN 21:11.1–11.6 · The Simile of the Saw
Pañcime, bhikkhave, vacanapathā yehi vo pare vadamānā vadeyyuṁ— kālena vā akālena vā; bhūtena vā abhūtena vā; saṇhena vā pharusena vā; atthasaṁhitena vā anatthasaṁhitena vā; mettacittā vā dosantarā vā.
So gain and loss, fame and disgrace, blame and praise, and pleasure and pain don’t occupy their mind. They don’t favor gain or oppose loss. They don’t favor fame or oppose disgrace. They don’t favor praise or oppose blame. They don’t favor pleasure or oppose pain.
The difference the Buddha draws between a well-taught noble disciple and an untaught ordinary person is not that praise and blame stop coming — both meet them — but that for the disciple they no longer take over the mind.
Where this stops: It describes a disciple who reflects that each condition is impermanent; it is a training, not a mood to put on after a bad review. Not a reply to bullying or harassment at work, and not a reason to say unfair criticism does not matter.
AN 8.6:6.1–6.5 · Worldly Conditions (2nd)
Tassa lābhopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, alābhopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, yasopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, ayasopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, nindāpi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, pasaṁsāpi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, sukhampi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, dukkhampi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati. So uppannaṁ lābhaṁ nānurujjhati, alābhe nappaṭivirujjhati; uppannaṁ yasaṁ nānurujjhati, ayase nappaṭivirujjhati; uppannaṁ pasaṁsaṁ nānurujjhati, nindāya nappaṭivirujjhati; uppannaṁ sukhaṁ nānurujjhati, dukkhe nappaṭivirujjhati.
Regard one who sees your faults as a guide to a hidden treasure. Stay close to one so intelligent and astute who curbs you when you need it. Sticking close to such an impartial person, things get better, not worse.
Accurate criticism as something worth seeking out — the critic as a guide to treasure.
Where this stops: The verse is about an intelligent and impartial critic; it does not ask anyone to treat contempt or cruelty as treasure.
Dhp 76:1–6 · 6. The Astute
Nidhīnaṁva pavattāraṁ, yaṁ passe vajjadassinaṁ; Niggayhavādiṁ medhāviṁ, tādisaṁ paṇḍitaṁ bhaje; Tādisaṁ bhajamānassa, seyyo hoti na pāpiyo.
As the wind cannot stir a solid mass of rock, so too blame and praise do not affect the wise.
The same teaching in four lines, short enough to carry into a meeting.
Where this stops: An image of the wise, not a demand to feel nothing when criticized.
Dhp 81:1–4 · 6. The Astute
Selo yathā ekaghano, vātena na samīrati; Evaṁ nindāpasaṁsāsu, na samiñjanti paṇḍitā.
They give up backbiting. They don’t repeat in one place what they heard in another so as to divide people against each other. Instead, they reconcile those who are divided and support those who are united, delighting in harmony, loving harmony, speaking words that promote harmony.
Divisive speech named precisely, alongside its opposite — speech that reconciles — in a teaching given to lay householders.
Where this stops: About repeating things in order to divide people; it does not forbid telling someone who can act that harm is being done.
MN 41:13.3 · The People of Sālā
Pisuṇaṁ vācaṁ pahāya pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, ito sutvā na amutra akkhātā imesaṁ bhedāya, amutra vā sutvā na imesaṁ akkhātā amūsaṁ bhedāya. Iti bhinnānaṁ vā sandhātā, sahitānaṁ vā anuppadātā, samaggārāmo samaggarato samagganandī samaggakaraṇiṁ vācaṁ bhāsitā hoti.