Rights and responsibilities of employers and employees

EMPLOYEES have both rights and responsibilities. They have a duty to their colleagues not to bully them, and have rights if they are accused of bullying, which must also be defended.

This is where bullying departs from other hazards at work, as people who are accused have employment rights which means that they cannot simply be removed if they are harming others. Instead the issue must be progressed fairly and transparently so everybody’s rights are simultaneously met.

Where a bullying culture has been identified, (through a number of complaints, for instance) employers must take reasonable measures to prevent incidents of bullying occurring (through awarenessraising and training as well as reacting speedily to resolve issues early/progress investigations and/ or initiate control measures).

When and if bullying occurs, employers should prevent the risk of injury to the health of employees worsening by providing and implementing support and assistance throughout the process, and reviewing and monitoring the environment afterwards, as far as is reasonable.

Managers and supervisors have a particular responsibility to promote dignity in the workplace for all. They should be alert to the possibility of bullying behaviour and be familiar with the policies and procedures for dealing with allegations. Their behaviour may be modelled by others, as it may be considered acceptable. That’s why managers and those in authority should be aware of their own behaviour at work and not engage in improper conduct in any form.