Frequently asked questions
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The clear difference between harassment and bullying is harassment is ILLEGAL and bullying IS NOT. However, bullying is never acceptable and anyone bullying should be punished appropriately. Harassment is aggressive pressure or intimidation which can make you feel intimidated. E.g. comments, jokes, gestures. Section 1 and 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 act defines acts of harassment. Bullying has no legal definition but can be defined as very similar to harassment, it is not targeting a protected characteristic.
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Harassment targets the 9 protected characteristics in the Equality Act. These characteristics are:
- Race
- Sex
- Disability
- Religion and belief
- Sexual orientation
- Gender reassignment
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Pregnancy and maternity
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Whilst there is no legal definition of bullying there is still some Law and guidance that business settings must regard. Most bullying incidents are not crimes. But some types of bullying are illegal and should be reported to the police. This includes bullying that involves violence or assault; theft; harassment and intimidation over a period of time including calling someone names or threatening them, making abusive phone calls, and sending abusive emails or text messages (one incident is not normally enough to get a conviction); and anything involving hate crimes.
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Here are some of the signs to look out for if you think you or someone else is being bullied/harassed:
- Taking responsibilities away from you
- Exclusion or being ignored
- Rumours spreading with or without your knowledge
- Constant criticism
- Managers/leaders that misuse their power and intimidate or belittle
- Being made to feel guilty, constant jokes, and being picked on
- Unwelcome sexual advances
- Threats of job security
- Stopping you from progressing in your job
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- They are picking on someone – ignoring them, too much supervision, leaving them out, disregarding what they say, the list can go on for this category.
- They are always telling on someone – they will snitch on anything they do and constantly brag to everyone about the other person’s mistake. Or you point the finger at the same person once again, when it was your fault.
- They openly make fun of other people – taking the ‘mickey’ out of someone in front of everyone to try and get other people to rally around you.
- They point out your mistakes and make sure everyone knows about them.
- They insult any personal characteristics like looks or personality
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Bullying, abuse & harassment can induce the following in the victim:
- Stress
- Anxiety & panic attacks
- Increased blood pressure
- Sleep deprivation
- Ulcers
- As well as an effect on their work performance like decision making, lack of concentration, self-esteem, and reduced productivity
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To prevent bullying at work, appropriate training and awareness tools should be provided to employees and management. It is important to make sure as an employer that you make it clear that you have zero tolerance for bullying in the workplace. Most companies do this by having a written policy determining what is unacceptable so should bullying occur, they are then able to handle the bully and the situation appropriately.
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Your employer should try and protect you from harassment at work. If you are being harassed and decide to come forward here are some simple steps.
- Write down what happened – dates, times, what happened, witnesses, how you felt
- If you feel safe doing so, confront the harasser and ask them to stop. Some people don’t fully understand how they are making others feel, but some do.
- Talk to your employer or a senior manager about it
- If the harasser doesn’t stop or your employer isn’t taking your complaint seriously, you should make a formal complaint. This can be made under the harassment claim under the Equality Act
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Yes. Harassment is illegal as it targets the protected characteristics under the Equality Act. Meaning you are able to prosecute someone for harassment.
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A positive working environment can come from a number of things. Here are some examples below:
- Transparent communication between everyone
- Ensure you and your employees have a good work-life balance to avoid things like stress and general frustration and unhappiness at work
- Keep up-to-date training and development opportunities going to provide new and exciting opportunities for staff
- Praise and reward hard work and success
- Things like team bonding days and showing a good team attitude is important to make everyone feel included and equal
Documents & other resources
Forms/Checklists
Respectful Workplace – Checklist
This simple checklist is the perfect prompt to assess the level of respectful behaviour in your workplace. It will quickly highlight what’s working well and what needs improving.
Instant download
Posters
Handling Discipline & Grievances – An Overview
This document provides two easy-to-follow flow charts for handling both a Disciplinary Procedure and a Grievance Procedure.
Instant download
Posters
Grievance Procedure
This one-page document provides a concise yet thorough explanation on how to conduct a three-stage Grievance Procedure, and what to expect from the process.
Instant download
Posters
Employees – If You Have a Grievance
This document is perfect as a quick point of reference. It provides a simple overview of the six stages involved in undertaking a Grievance Process.
Instant download
Posters
Bullying Disciplinary Procedure
This document covers the three-stage Disciplinary Procedure, including the potential outcomes from the process. One page, lots of detail, and very easy to follow.
Instant download
Forms/Checklists
Bullying and Harassment Risk Assessment
This document covers the eight major factors to review when conducting a Bullying and Harassment Risk Assessment in the workplace.
Instant download
