This policy is about ensuring that all <insert business name> workers are able to work in an environment free from bullying.

<Insert business name> believes all its workers should be able to work in an environment free from bullying.

Bullying is repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker, or group of workers, that creates a risk to health and safety. Single incidents of unreasonable behaviour can also create a risk to health and safety. Managers and supervisors must ensure workers are not bullied. Bullying in the workplace may cause the loss of trained and talented workers, reduce productivity and morale, and create legal risks.

<Insert business name> has procedures to deal with bullying in the workplace. All reports will be treated seriously and investigated promptly, confidentially and impartially.

Management Responsibilities
Management has a legal duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their workers and other people in the workplace whose health and safety may be affected by the work being undertaken. This duty could include risks arising from workplace bullying.

Our Business will assess risks to our workers and take appropriate measures to prevent or reduce risk, and must consult our workers when considering decisions that may affect their health and safety. The Manager must ensure that workers who make reports, and anyone else who may be involved, are not victimised.

Disciplinary action may be taken against anyone who bullies a co-worker. Discipline may involve a warning, counselling, demotion or dismissal, depending on the circumstances.

<Insert business name> carries out a regular check of the workplace in consultation with workers to identify if there are signs that bullying is happening or could happen (risk identification), and take steps to deal with any problem areas (risk control). Please refer to the Bullying Checklist.

<Insert business name> risk management of bullying involves a staged prevention approach that involves:

• Identifying bullying risks.
• Assessing the likelihood of those risks causing injury or illness.
• Implementing risk control measures to eliminate the risk/s (or, where that is not reasonably practicable, reducing the risk so far as is reasonably practicable).
• Reviewing and improving the effectiveness of risk control measures over time.

How We Will Respond
If workplace bullying or unreasonable behaviour is reported or observed we will take the following steps:

• The responsible manager will speak to the parties involved as soon as possible, gather information and seek a resolution to satisfactorily address the issue for all parties.
• If issues cannot be resolved or the unreasonable behaviour is considered to be of a serious nature, an impartial person will be appointed to investigate. Both sides will be able to state their case and relevant information will be collected and considered before a decision is made.
• All complaints and reports will be treated in the strictest of confidence. Only those people directly involved in the complaint or in resolving it will have access to the information.
• There will be no victimisation of the person making the report or helping to resolve it. Complaints made maliciously or in bad faith will result in disciplinary action.

Consequences of Breaching this Policy
Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against a person who is found to have breached this policy. These measures will depend on the nature and circumstance of each breach and could include:

• A verbal or written apology.
• One or more parties agreeing to participate in counselling or training.
• A verbal or written reprimand.
• Transfer, demotion or dismissal of the person engaging in the bullying behaviour.

If Bullying has not Been Substantiated
If the investigation finds bullying has not occurred or cannot be substantiated, <insert business name> may still take appropriate action to address any workplace issues leading to the report.

Workers’ Responsibilities
<Insert business name> encourages all its workers to report bullying in the workplace. Workers must contribute to workplace health and safety by:

• Not putting others at risk.
• Cooperating with any health and safety requirements of their employer.
• Informing their employer of any workplace hazards of which they are aware, including bullying.
• Complying with any bullying prevention procedures that are implemented in the workplace.

What Types of Behaviour Could be Workplace Bullying?
Bullying behaviour can be obvious and aggressive, including:

• Behaviour or language that frightens, humiliates, belittles or degrades.
• Loud verbal criticism.
• Encouragement to other workers to participate in bullying behaviour.
• Spreading malicious rumours or innuendo.

Workplace Bullying Can Also be Subtle
Examples include:

• Deliberate exclusion of a worker from normal workplace activities.
• Interference with personal property or work equipment.
• Intimidation by inappropriate personal comment, belittling opinions or unjustified criticism.
• Offensive jokes, whether by spoken word or email.

Behaviour that Treats Some People Less Favourably, or is Disempowering, is Also Bullying
Examples include:  

• Assigning meaningless tasks to a worker that are unrelated to their job.
• Setting tasks that are unreasonably above or below a worker’s ability.
• Deliberately changing work arrangements, such as rosters and leave, to inconvenience a particular worker or workers.
• Setting timelines that are very difficult to achieve.
• Deliberately denying access to information, consultation or other resources.
• Unreasonably blocking promotion, training, development or other work opportunities.
• Excessive and unreasonable work scrutiny.
• Removing areas of responsibility without cause.

What is Not Bullying?
Reasonable management actions carried out in a fair way is not bullying. For example:

• Setting performance goals, standards and deadlines
• Allocating work to a worker
• Rostering and allocating working hours
• Deciding not to select a worker for promotion
• Informing a worker about inappropriate behaviour
• Performance management processes
• Implementing organisational changes
• Constructive feedback

What Can I Do?

• If you can, tell the bully that their behaviour is unreasonable and inappropriate, and you want it to stop
• Get advice from the manager
• Check our policy and procedures on bullying and follow them
• If nothing is done after you have reported bullying, put your concerns in writing to the CEO/Practice Principal
• Keep a diary or record of all incidents that have occurred including names, dates and witnesses and copies of documents – ensure the records focus on facts
• See a doctor, if necessary
• Seek professional counselling and/or advice
• Talk to those at work who you trust
• If you witness unreasonable behaviour you should bring the matter to the attention of your manager as a matter of urgency
• Call the HR Help Desk Service

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