How to handle bullying and discrimination in the workplace
source:
Charity Job
first published: 22 February 2021
You might have read the coverage about workplace bullying in our sector which sparked the twitterstorm #notjustNCVO, prompting many responses and examples of incidents in various organisations.
As an employer, you should do all you can to prevent bullying and discrimination in the workplace. You are expected to do so by law, and you also have a ‘duty of care’ to look after the wellbeing of your employees.
Anti-bullying and harassment policies can support you in preventing bullying in the workplace.
Acas has produced a useful booklet for employers, including guidance on setting up a policy if you don’t already have one.
Address any bullying incidents straight away
As an employer, you must take any complaint of bullying or discrimination seriously and investigate it as soon as possible. The first step is to talk to the person who raised the issue and to find out as much detail about it as you possibly can.
At this stage, it’s important to check how they would like it handled. Is it something that they would like to report for you to keep an eye on it, would they like to try mediation, or perhaps they want to raise a formal complaint.
If someone makes a formal complaint about bullying or discrimination, you should follow a formal grievance procedure. This begins with deciding who will need to investigate the complaint.
This person should be neutral and not involved in the event being investigated. In some circumstances, you may deem it appropriate to separate the employees involved, while you conduct the investigation.
If the outcome of your investigation results in your decision to undertake disciplinary action, make sure that you go about this the right way. Acas has produced step by step guidance which can be helpful.
