Fifty-nine students (30 females, 29 males) volunteered to participate in the study. Participants were required to have had paid work experience within the last 12 months. Data were obtained in the form of a questionnaire on interpersonal relationships in the workplace. Sections focused on job satisfaction, specific events in the workplace, and how participants dealt with a specific hostile interpersonal interaction that occurred on the job. The results show that although most of the students had positive interactions at work, exposure to abusive behavior was familiar, was relatively frequent, and had a negative impact on the targets. The actors tended to be bosses and older than the targets. The quality of the interpersonal relationships at work was related to job satisfaction and intention to leave. The implications of these results are discussed with respect to individual, situational, and organizational factors that may be related to the presence and impact of abusive interpersonal interactions. Avenues for research on the nature, extent, and impact of these behaviors at both the individual and organizational levels are identified. 4 tables and 35 references