Bullying and harassment at work
HARASSMENT is unwanted conduct which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual.
Bullying may be described as offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means that undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient.
Both may be by an individual against an individual or involve groups of people. It may be obvious or it may be insidious. Whatever form it takes, it is unwarranted and unwelcome to the individual.
An employer has a duty to protect you from bullying. If you are facing bullying or harassment at work and wish to tackle it, you could consider the following courses of action:
Ask the bully to stop. You should make it clear that you find the behaviour offensive. You could ask for an informal discussion with the bully. You may find it helpful to have a colleague present when you ask and at any subsequent discussions. Alternatively, you could write to the bully (or ask someone else to write on your behalf) keeping a copy and stating that further action will be taken if the bullying does not stop.
Collect evidence of the incidents of bullying. Keep a diary or record of the date, time and location of the incidents, what was said and/or done and whether there were any witnesses. Evidence of similar bullying against other workers may also be helpful
Keep a record of how the bullying made you feel, including any effects it had on your health and impact it had on your work.
Approach your employer if the employer is not the bully. If there is no trade union at the workplace, discuss the matter directly with a manager. You may wish to have a colleague present at any discussion. You should decide what action you want the employer to take, for example, moving the bully to a different workplace. If you are offered an alternative job, you should ensure that it is no less favourable than your existing one. If your line manager is the bully, you should approach a more senior manager or a member of the HR department.
ACAS has produced two guidance documents on bullying and harassment at work. They are called Bullying
And Harassment At Work: Guidance
For Employees And Bullying and Harassment At Work: Guidance For Managers And Employers’ Both can be downloaded from the ACAS website – bit.ly/wokacas