Providing a safe and respectful working environment is the responsibility of all employers. Bullying and harassment among workers can lead to serious injury, which may negatively affect worker productivity, as well as increase the legal risk to the workers.
Under Australian law, employers have an obligation to take reasonable precautions to prevent and address these behaviours within their workplace.
Using a structured approach, comprehensive workplace bullying and harassment training will allow an organisation to identify its risks early and foster a culture of respect.
Combining workplace bullying and harassment prevention training with WHS Training provides employees with psychological and physical safety throughout all levels of the organisation.
Identification of Workplace Bullying and Harassment
Bullying is when a worker or a group of workers is being subjected to unreasonable and repeated behaviour, creating a risk to the health and safety of that worker or group.
Examples of Bullying Behaviour: Verbal abuse, Intimidation, Exclusion from employment, or spreading false information through various forms of communication, including email or text message.
Harassment is often confused with bullying and may be classified differently under the law. However, there are many actions that can overlap with the definition of both terms. Harassment includes actions and behaviours that cause offence, humiliation, or intimidation to another individual or group.
The guidelines provided by the Australian WHS authority do not limit their definition of bullying and harassment to only face-to-face interactions. They have specified that bullying and harassment can be conducted via all types of communication, including the use of electronic communication or through remote work.
Employers must also understand that if they do not address the subtle patterns of the behaviour, it may escalate into a major problem.
Legal Obligations To Adhere To
Safety and legislative frameworks are clear in Australian WHS Laws and regulations regarding the workplace. All employers have an obligation to ensure the health and safety of employees, which includes their psychological health and well-being.
Hence, all organisations are responsible for taking reasonable measures to eliminate or control the risks associated with bullying and harassment in the workplace.
The employer has an obligation to:
- Provide a safe work environment
- Identify and control psychosocial hazards
- Implement clear workplace policies
- Respond immediately to complaints made
Failure to comply can result in regulatory penalties and reputation damage. It is important that you integrate Workplace Health and Safety training Australia with your normal operating procedures so that your employees and management understand their responsibilities and obligations regarding WHS.
Use of Clear Workplace Policies
Clear workplace policies define the rules and processes for both preventing and managing workplace bullying and harassment.
A workplace policy should include:
- Clear definition of bullying and harassment
- The roles and responsibilities of all employees and management
- Complaints and confidentiality guidelines
- Reporting procedures
- Respective consequences
Policies must be visible and communicated on an ongoing basis. Simply having a policy document will not be sufficient. All employees must understand how to implement the policy in their work environment.
When policies are supported by workplace bullying and harassment training, they can be used as action tools, rather than static documents.
Identifying Risks Early On
Preventative action starts with identifying possible risks before they become actual events. Assessing an organisation’s workplace culture, communication method and management style are steps towards achieving this goal.
Some of the risk indicators include:
- High turnover rates in personnel
- Frequent staff conflicts
- Inadequate channels of communication
- Poor management behaviours
Conducting risk assessments on a routine basis allows an organisation to identify trends that could lead to bullying behaviours. Managers need to be proactive in identifying the behaviours that could be early warning signs and take action to remedy them.
Training Programs and Their Role in Preventing Bullying
Training is one of the best tools available to prevent harassment and bullying in the workplace. It provides employees with the information necessary to identify inappropriate behaviours and respond appropriately to them.
A structured training program will generally cover information such as:
- The ability to recognise bullying in the workplace
- The need to understand your legal obligations
- How to report bullying incidents
- Conflict resolution techniques
Training also holds individuals accountable for their actions. Once employees understand how their actions affect others, they are more inclined to contribute to a workplace that is respectful of all employees. Training should be considered a critical component of any strategy designed to prevent workplace bullying and harassment.
Utilising Workplace Health and Safety training Australia will ensure that both psychological and physical safety are maintained when taking a comprehensive approach to promoting well-being at work.
Creating a Culture of Respect at Work
A stronger workplace culture will decrease instances of bullying and harassment. As such, all companies should create a culture of respect, inclusion, and open communication.
Leaders influence the formation of culture; they set the standard by their actions for how the remainder of the organisation will behave. When leaders demonstrate that they respect and treat others fairly, other employees are more likely to model that behaviour in return.
Employees will feel part of the company and that they play an important role if they receive feedback on their performances, recognition for accomplishes, and if management fosters teamwork.
Culture is not created overnight and requires consistent and focused effort.
Reporting and Responding to Workplace Incidents
Employees need to feel comfortable and safe when they report an incident. If the reporting process is transparent and supportive, employees will be more likely to report the incident without the fear of facing any retribution.
Some of the common elements of an effective reporting system include:
- Confidential reporting systems
- Clear processes for how investigations will be conducted
- The timely resolution of complaints
- Providing support for employees who were affected by workplace bullying or harassment
Employers should view any employee complaint with compassion and fairness. Providing an immediate resolution to a complaint will not only help resolve the issue but also demonstrate to the employee that the employer cares about their health and well-being.
Measures to Protect Employee Well-Being
There are serious negative consequences to workplace bullying, including psychological and physical dysfunction. It can be depression, anxiety, or low job satisfaction.
Some support strategies for employees may include:
- Access to counselling
- Flexible work arrangements
- Regular wellness check-ins
- Stress management resources
It is always better to prevent issues than to respond to them.
Continuous Improvement and Monitoring
The policies and programs should be reviewed regularly to ensure they are still current and effective.
Organisations should:
- Monitor the safety culture in the workplace by conducting employee surveys
- Update policies as the legislation that governs them changes
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the training provided
- Encourage feedback on what is working or not working in the workplace.
By regularly improving processes and procedures, organisations can meet the constantly changing demands created by the workplace. Additionally, ongoing improvement of processes and procedures solidifies the organisation’s commitment to providing a safe and respectful workplace.
Conclusion
Workplace bullying and harassment are significant problems that can be addressed through a proactive and systematic approach. Having clearly defined policies, a means for reporting incidents, and an established ongoing training requirement all contribute to mitigating and preventing workplace bullying and harassment.
When organisations invest in both workplace bullying and harassment training and include safety training, they create a secure environment in which employees are treated with dignity and have the support they need.
WHS and Training Compliance Solutions offer practical, face-to-face workplace training that assists organisations to create a safe, healthy workplace. Their training programmes support compliance with Australian WHS legislation and assist in developing the employees’ understanding and skill sets in relation to workplace safety.
Author Bio
The writer is a workplace safety content expert focused on WHS training and compliance in Australia. They develop and deliver high-quality, informative, and practical content to assist businesses with their compliance and occupational safety initiatives through training, effective workplace policies and procedures, and compliance assessment programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
1 . How do I evaluate the effectiveness of anti-bullying initiatives?
Most organisations use a combination of employee surveys, incident reports, and/or feedback sessions to assess their effectiveness.
2 . What is the role of a supervisor in preventing workplace bullying?
Supervisors are often the first line of defence against workplace bullying. Therefore, they should model positive behaviour, act at the first signs of conflict, and create a culture where all employees feel they belong and have the opportunity to be heard.
3 . Is workplace bullying ever done unintentionally?
Workplace bullying is sometimes done without malice; however, there are circumstances where repeated behaviours may still be considered workplace bullying if they result in psychological harm to an employee.
4 . How often should organisations review their workplace policies?
Workplace policies should be reviewed at a minimum once per year or whenever there are changes in regulations. Regular reviews of the policy help ensure the policy remains relevant and effective.
5 . What are some of the common barriers to reporting workplace bullying?
Many employees are reluctant to report incidents of workplace bullying due to fear of retaliation by the perpetrator, a lack of confidence in the reporting process, or unawareness of what constitutes workplace bullying.
6 . Why is proactive intervention important when dealing with workplace conflict?
Proactively addressing conflict reduces the chances that a minor problem will escalate into a larger problem.
