Watch our short video on bullying and harassment
Watch the banter
Be careful with jokes
Stop the swearing
There’s three things that come to mind when we think about bullying and harassment that might not necessarily trigger those thoughts for you.
- We’ve all heard it – banter! Calling people nicknames, it was just banter. Actually, they might be really offended and that could be considered a form of bullying or harassment.
- Jokes – we all love a good joke. Maybe keep them to the ones you find in crackers these days. Anything to do with protected characteristics, or people’s nationality, or anything that could be considered offensive, just don’t say them.
- Bad language – even just swearing a lot can lead people to feel intimidated, they can feel victimised by it, so please just watch your language.
It’s important that your employees are aware of your bullying and harassment policies so that they know what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour.
Make sure any potentially offensive behaviour is nipped in the bud as swiftly as possible so that it doesn’t escalate into a grievance.
You should also ensure your managers are trained in how to identify and deal with potential issues, that way they can also handle any grievances that might be raised as a result.
Do you have questions about bullying and harassment?
Give us a call at CUBE HR, we’ll be happy to advise you and we have policies and templates available to meet every HR need.
Why not check out our other blog on the same topic What is Bullying?
You can also watch a range of other videos on our YouTube channel
