Anti-Bullying Policy

Our Anti-bullying Policy template is for use by any organisation. It sets out how staff and management should deal with harassment or bullying at work, and makes it clear to staff that harassing or bullying is a disciplinary offence.

It is the employer’s duty to ensure that its employees who report harassment or bullying are not victimised by management or other staff as a result. This policy (and of course making sure it is followed in practice) is a good step in the direction of making sure the employer complies with its legal duties to prevent harassment or bullying at work. The employer can be held vicariously liable for the actions of its employees who cause bullying and harassment to staff or third parties during the course of their work, so it is important that a clear message is given to staff that this will not be tolerated.

The anti-bullying policy sets out the business’s commitment:

• to ending bullying and harassment at work, and
• also to protecting those who raise their concerns about bullying and harassment in a protective, confidential environment at work.

The policy sets out how issues will be investigated and dealt with, including by disciplinary action against the perpetrators.

Using our Anti-Bullying Policy template

Our templates are all drafted to make it easy for you. You can complete your policy in literally minutes. It comes with a guide that leads you through each section and explains what its purpose is. You will find it incredibly straight-forward. If you have any queries when using it, you can contact us by email or telephone: see our Contact Us section.

Other HR Handbook documentation from Legalo

Legalo has a full range of policies for your HR Handbook if you need individual policies or you can buy the complete set at a significant discount on the price of buying them individually. Have a look at our HR templates section for full details.

Clauses in this Anti-bullying Policy

What follows is a preview of the guide you get when you buy the template, walking you through its clauses:

Anti-bullying Policy outline

This section sets out the business’s commitment to:

• end bullying and harassment at work and
• also to protecting those who raise their concerns about bullying and harassment in a protective, confidential environment at work.

While in the third paragraph of this section, the draft states that the procedure is non-contractual, employers should consult employees or their representatives if they are thinking of changing their policy. Please note that if, after negotiation with a trade union, the union has approved the policy, it may have become a contractual term of the employees’ contracts. In such a case, modify the template accordingly by deleting this paragraph.

Definition of harassment

This section explains what harassment is and that it can occur if the recipient/victim feels it is happening. This is even if the bully did not intend it or think it was harassment. It also sets out that if you breach the anti-discrimination laws (e.g. sexual harassment) it is “unlawful harassment”. It makes it clear that physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct can amount to harassment.

Definition of bullying

This section of the anti-bullying policy explains what bullying is. It makes it clear that physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct can amount to bullying where it occurs when someone in a position of power is the abuser. In terms of abusing a position of power, this is not necessarily always about the bully holding a more senior role to the employee who is the victim.

What to do if you are subjected to harassment or bullying

This section sets out with whom the worker should raise issues internally and that, following an investigation, the employer will hold a meeting to address the issue. The draft suggests, in the first paragraph of this section, that the worker should first raise the issue with:

• their line manager/supervisor, or
• someone in the HR team.

If you do not have the latter, then delete the reference to it and the earlier use of the word “either” (both are in square brackets) in the penultimate sentence of this paragraph.

Protection and support for those making harassment or bullying claims

This section:

• encourages the victim (or anyone else seeing harassment or bullying) to raise their concerns internally, and
• assures them of protection against victimisation as a result, including by disciplining any members of staff who would seek to victimise those raising such concerns.

Bullying and harassment records

This section of the anti-bullying policy explains that you will keep personnel or other relevant records regarding:

• the allegations made, and
• how you have dealt with them.

In the last sentence, it refers to keeping those records in line with your Data Protection Policy. If you do not have such a policy, then either:

• delete the reference to it, or
• buy a template for such a policy from Legalo.