Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Bullying and harassmentHR practice

Weekly dilemma: Poking fun at ‘Ugly Betties’

by Personnel Today 3 Apr 2007
by Personnel Today 3 Apr 2007

A new starter at our company has faced sniggers and negative remarks from other staff members because of her unfashionable dress sense and ‘geeky’ persona. I’m worried about an emerging culture of bullying towards her. What can I do?


Channel 4’s comedy Ugly Betty has done a good job highlighting the difficulties that new employees can face in settling into a new environment. The show follows the daily life of Betty Suarez, a young woman who has started a new job. Most of her female co-workers are more attractive than she is and they often humiliate and insult her because of her appearance.


Getting teased because of the way you look is the most common form of bullying, from the playground to the workplace. Employers must maintain certain standards if they are to foster a happy working environment.


Allowing consistent put-downs and personal remarks from colleagues about other people’s appearance is morally unacceptable and, for an employee with sufficient service, may provide the basis for a claim of constructive unfair dismissal.


However, for new employees, the scope for legal protection is limited as it is not at present possible to make a direct complaint to an employment tribunal about bullying in itself. Staff might be able to bring complaints under rules outlawing harassment contained within the anti-discrimination legislation. For example, legislation covering sex, age, race, religion, disability, sexuality or age all contain provisions of this type.


Alternatively, the provisions of the Protection from Harassment Act (originally intended to provide protection from stalkers and the like) have been interpreted as holding employers responsible for bullying and harassment in the workplace. Such claims are pursued in the county courts.


Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Employers should make it clear to new recruits during the induction process that bullying is not tolerated in the workplace, and they should have procedures in place to investigate and deal with allegations of bullying.


Mark Higgins, head of employment, Betesh Fox




Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
Teacher at centre of veil row loses dismissal appeal against former employer Kirklees Council
next post
Hamburg’s Vocational School for Gastronomy and Nutrition launches doner kebab production course

You may also like

HR manager with ‘messy’ work loses discrimination case

25 Jun 2025

With HR absence rising, is your people team...

24 Jun 2025

BBC Breakfast bullying and misconduct allegations under investigation

20 Jun 2025

Barts nurse told to remove watermelon image claims...

19 Jun 2025

NDA ban vital to tackling misogyny in music...

4 Jun 2025

Disability harassment and discrimination ‘shockingly high’

3 Jun 2025

Black security manager awarded £360k after decade of...

20 May 2025

Ministers urged to outlaw misuse of NDAs

7 May 2025

Lincolnshire doctor awarded £250k in race discrimination case

2 May 2025

BBC to ‘act immediately’ on workplace culture review

28 Apr 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+