As an employee you have a right to a safe working environment. Your employer is responsible for creating and maintaining a safe working environment, free from bullying, harassment, and intimidation. You are protected by your employers’ policies and by legislation.
Bullying includes:
- offensive, intimidating, malicious, or insulting behaviour;
- abuse of authority which violates the dignity of an individual or a group of people;
- creating a hostile environment against an individual;
- the undermining, humiliation or injury of an individual.
Harassment is defined as unwanted conduct that has the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of people in the workplace or of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.
To be protected under the Equality Act it must be related to gender reassignment, disability, age, sex (or be of a sexual nature), sexual orientation, race, religion or belief or nationality. It may be an isolated incident or come up again and again.
Harassment includes bullying if it relates to one of the protected characteristics listed above.
A few examples of bullying/harassment could include:
- making offensive or intimidating comments;
- withholding information so the job cannot be done properly;
- unreasonable or impossible deadlines or workloads;
- overbearing supervision or unjust criticism;
- blocking opportunities or making threats about job security.
At the Advocate Partners we have dealt with many bullying and harassment cases including some that have gone to the Employment Tribunal. If you feel that you are being bullied or harassed, then don’t suffer in silence contact us immediately and we can help you deal your employer. We will appoint a representative who will help draft a letter to your employer setting out your concerns and will represent you at any internal meetings.
