Bullying and harassment

Recognising bullying or harassment

Bullying and harassment can often be hard for employers to recognise. It may not be obvious to other people, and may be done in subtle ways. An individual may be too frightened to report an incident.

A good employer should be aware of this, and keep an eye out for some of the possible signs of bullying and harassment.

Signs may include:

• absenteeism - if this is more frequent, or for longer periods than usual 
• high staff turnover - especially if it occurs in a particular section or where staff work for a particular manager
• stress symptoms - including fatigue, anxiety, depression, immune system suppression, aches, pains, numbness and panic attacks
• a change in an individual's behaviour or performance at work

Methods by which bullying and harassment may be carried out, and for which you could be held liable, include:

• face-to-face
• by letter
• electronically, by email
• by phone
• at work-related social functions

See our guide on how to manage absence and sickness .

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• What is meant by bullying and harassment?
• The impact of bullying and harassment
• Recognising bullying or harassment
• Prevent bullying and harassment
• Draw up an anti bullying and harassment policy
• Dealing with bullying and harassment claims
• Here's how I developed an anti bullying and harassment policy

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