BULLYING AND HARASSMENT

Bullying and harassment can take many forms, including: making derogatory comments, ignoring, persistent requests for dates, wolf-whistling, assault, touching, patting, unwanted banter, putting up offensive pin-ups, offensive screen-savers, verbal or physical threats, humiliation in public, making unjustified criticism, etc.

If you are being bullied or harassed because of your:

• race
• sex
• disability
• sexual orientation
• religion or belief
• trade union membership/non-membership
• age

then it is likely that you are the victim of unlawful discrimination. This means that the Employment Tribunal could award you potentially unlimited damages against (1) the individual who has bullied or harassed you and also against (2) your employer if it did not take all reasonable steps to prevent you from being bullied or harassed. (See also our separate factsheets on age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief and trade union discrimination).

If you are being bullied or harassed for whatever reason, there are steps you can take to protect yourself, such as by lodging a grievance under your employer’s grievance procedure. In certain circumstances, including where your employer does not deal with your grievance properly, you may be able to resign and claim constructive dismissal (see our factsheet on Constructive Dismissal).