Bullying and harassment can be a mine field and when it occurs, can have long lasting negative impacts on the complainant, respondent, their co-workers, and their employer. Bullying and harassment can be even further reaching, affecting operational productivity, quality and the customer experience.
It is imperative that employers have current bullying policies and procedures in place and those managers are trained in, and understand: –
· What bullying is and what it is not.
· What to do if they receive a complaint.
· What the process is and what to expect once a complaint is raised.
· What a vexatious claim is and how to deal with such a claim.
· What the consequences may be if complaints are not taken seriously.
Similarly, it is important that your employees are trained to ensure they understand:
· What bullying is and what it is not.
· What the process is and what to expect once a complaint is raised.
· What a vexatious claim is and what may be the consequence of making such claims.
· Where they make complaint, who they can talk to.
· What external avenues they have should their complaint not be addressed by the
employer.
To ensure that you are meeting your legal obligations and responsibilities, it is recommended that bullying training be conducted at a minimum of every two years.
In addition to supporting our clients via our membership subscriptions, HR Advice Online can provide bullying and harassment training via our consulting services. To find out further information regarding the training that we can provide, please contact a member of our team at [email protected] or on 1300 720 004.
Information in HR Advice Online guides and blog posts is meant purely for educational discussion of human resources issues. It contains only general information about human resources matters and due to factors, such as government legislation changes, may not be up to date at the time of reading. It is not legal advice and should not be treated as such.
