Bullying and harassment legislation is no joke. Over the last couple of years, courts have awarded damages of over $1 million to employees with successful claims. On top of the cost of these types of claims, your business could be exposed to reputational damage and also issues with other staff in the fall out. 

 

Employers have an obligation to ensure they provide an environment for employees that is safe, supportive and free from physical and mental harm along with making sure that employees know what’s expected of them. One way to do this is to have clear, effective and easy to read policies in place. Policies set the guidelines for expectations, make it clear what unacceptable behaviour looks like and spells out the complaint handling process to all employees.

 

From a business perspective, having a good anti-bullying policy in place means that if you do receive a complaint you are aware of a set of steps that must be taken in order to properly address that complaint. This ensures that staff feel legitimised and protected and ensures that you as a business address each complaint fairly and accurately.

 

Without a documented policy, you could find yourself exposed to the threat of legal action if you haven’t taken the necessary steps to protect your employees from harmful situations. Strict guidelines outlining proper conduct and what will be done if that conduct isn’t adhered to can not only protect your employees but minimise the risk of facing a costly and lengthy legal process.   

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