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Bullying and harassment

In a workplace context, “harassment” is unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 (other than marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity) that has the purpose of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that person. Harassment in the workplace can also occur where a person reasonably considers conduct to have that effect, even if the effect is unintended.

“Bullying” is not defined in UK employment law. Acas defines workplace bullying as “offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means that undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the person being bullied”. The Health and Safety Executive stresses that bullying is a pattern of behaviour rather than isolated instances, and states that it “involves negative behaviour being targeted at an individual, or individuals, repeatedly and persistently over time”.


    • Sexual harassment
    • Latest News

    Formula One fan club worker wins £26,000 in sexual harassment case

    by Personnel Today 1 Sep 2004
    by Personnel Today 1 Sep 2004

    A
    tribunal has awarded a woman almost £26,000 after her boss threatened to spank
    her, and approached her with a...

    • Sexual harassment

    HR guide to harassment

    by Micael McCartney 24 Aug 2004
    by Micael McCartney 24 Aug 2004

    Few could have missed the spate of high-profile cases involving sex discrimination, bullying and harassment brought against UK and US...

    • Bullying and harassment
    • Ethics
    • ESG

    When is enough, enough?

    by Simon Kent 15 Jun 2004
    by Simon Kent 15 Jun 2004

    With customers becoming more abusive towards front-line staff, organisations need to know where to draw the line between what employees should and should not have to put up with.

    • Sexual harassment
    • Latest News

    Prison officer left to endure sexual harassment

    by Personnel Today 27 May 2004
    by Personnel Today 27 May 2004

    HM
    Prison Service has admitted that it failed to support a female prison officer
    when her line manager subjected her...

    • Stress
    • Bullying and harassment
    • Employee relations

    Taking the fight to the bullies

    by Quentin Reade 6 Apr 2004
    by Quentin Reade 6 Apr 2004

    An initiative from the DTI and the Amicus union aims to help organisations take more proactive approach to dealing with...

    • Sexual harassment
    • Latest News

    GMB agrees to £300,000 sexual harassment payout

    by Personnel Today 27 Oct 2003
    by Personnel Today 27 Oct 2003

    The
    GMB union has agreed to pay £300,000 to the former secretary of the union’s
    Scottish leader, after she accused...

    • Sexual harassment
    • Latest News

    Royal strikes sexual harassment deal with EOC

    by Personnel Today 7 Aug 2003
    by Personnel Today 7 Aug 2003

    The
    Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has suspended its investigation into
    alleged widespread sexual harassment at the Royal Mail after the...

    • Sexual harassment
    • Personnel Today

    Royal Mail pledges to stamp out sexual harassment cases

    by Personnel Today 4 Feb 2003
    by Personnel Today 4 Feb 2003

    The Royal Mail’s new director of diversity has pledged to change the
    company’s work culture after the Equal Opportunities Commission...

    • Sexual harassment
    • Personnel Today

    India to introduce sexual harassment laws

    by Personnel Today 1 Nov 2001
    by Personnel Today 1 Nov 2001

    Sexual harassment of women in the workplace is to be outlawed in India. A
    bill is being introduced which will...

    • Sexual harassment
    • Latest News

    Complaints procedures needed to stamp out sexual harassment

    by Personnel Today 29 Aug 2001
    by Personnel Today 29 Aug 2001

    Ninety per cent of people who claimed successfully for sexual
    harassment at employment tribunal had resigned or lost their jobs...

    • Sexual harassment

    Employment law clinic No 3 Sexual harassment allegations

    by Personnel Today 18 Apr 2001
    by Personnel Today 18 Apr 2001

    The
    challenge:  A company has received an
    allegation from one of its staff that she has been sexually harassed by...

    • Sexual harassment

    Sexual harassment

    by Personnel Today 18 Apr 2000
    by Personnel Today 18 Apr 2000

    Although sexual harassment is not specifically proscribed by the Sex
    Discrimination Act 1975, case law has now long established that...

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Personnel Today
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