Tackling bullying and harassment

In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 makes harassment based on protected characteristics (such as age, disability, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation) unlawful. However, harassment unrelated to these characteristics is not covered by the Act. While there is no specific legislation addressing workplace bullying, it is part of an employer’s legal obligation to ensure the safety of workers.  Workplace bullying refers to repeated, unwelcome, and negative behaviours directed at an individual or a group of employees within an organisation. It encompasses a wide range of behaviours such as:

•  Verbal abuse and hostility: Insults, name-calling or offensive remarks; shouting, or yelling at a target.

•  Social exclusion: Deliberately excluding somebody from work-related activities or events.

•  Intimidation: Threatening behaviour or gestures; using one’s position of power to intimate or coerce others.

•  Undermining work performance: Persistent criticism and unwarranted negative feedback; sabotaging or undermining the work of others; blocking access to key documents or other types of information.

• Demoting or demeaning: Actions that intentionally lower an individual’s status, position, or self-esteem.

• Cyberbullying: Harassment through emails, messages, or social media platforms; spreading false information online to damage a person’s reputation.

• Interference with work: Taking credit for somebody else’s work; deliberately setting someone up for failure.

• Excessive monitoring; Micromanaging to an extreme degree; unreasonable scrutiny of a person’s work or activities.

• Gossiping: Creating gossip about an individual’s personal life so that it affects their professional credibility.

Research with health and social care practitioners indicates that factors such as power imbalances, stress and burnout, competition for resources, lack of job control, and role ambiguity, increase the risk of bullying (van Heugten, 2009; 2021).

Workplace bullying can have significant and far-reaching consequences for individuals and organisations. It can adversely affect mental and physical health, threaten job satisfaction and sense of professional identity, and impair professional effectiveness and overall workplace culture (Birkeland et al., 2012). Bullying can also result in increased absenteeism and higher turnover rates and, if not addressed appropriately, can also damage an organisation’s reputation and have financial repercussions via legal action and compensation.

Addressing workplace bullying is crucial for maintaining a healthy, supportive and productive work environment. It requires employers to implement a range of measures such as: 

• Establish and communicate clear policies: Implement a robust and well-communicated policy emphasising the organisation’s commitment to promoting dignity and respect at work, and the behaviours expected. Policies that are co-designed are likely to be particularly effective.

• Integrate with other policies: Ensure that the anti-bullying policy is integrated with policies related to diversity and inclusion, equal opportunity, and employee code of conduct.

• Promote a positive organisational culture: Foster an inclusive workplace climate based on tolerance and acceptance of every individual. Ensure that senior leaders and managers role-model and champion the desired behaviours.

• Address power imbalances: Promote fair and transparent decision-making processes and discourage the abuse of authority.

• Offer guidance: Provide information on recognising and preventing workplace bullying.

• Establish mechanisms for conflict resolution: Implement processes such as mediation to amicably resolve disagreements or disputes to avoid escalation into bullying.

• Implement reporting mechanisms: Establish confidential and easily accessible mechanisms for employees to report instances of bullying. Ensure people feel safe and supported when voicing concerns, as they may fear negative repercussions. 

• Take all allegations seriously: Treat formal allegations of harassment, bullying  Investigate promptly: All complaints should be investigated promptly and formal grievances resolved in line with the ACAS Code of Practice on grievance and disciplinary procedures.

• Monitor and evaluate: Regularly monitor the workplace for signs of bullying. Evaluate the effectiveness of anti-bullying measures and solicit feedback from employees to identify areas for improvement.

The CIPD provides some useful information on how to tackle bullying and harassment effectively, see here. A factsheet and toolkit for tackling racial harassment and bullying is also available from BITC, see here.