Purpose and Scope
This policy applies to all [Organisation Name] personnel, including employees, workers, agency staff, and contractors. It covers conduct towards colleagues in any work-related setting, the main workplace, client sites, business travel, work social events, and digital channels like group chats and online platforms.
It also covers third-party harassment by customers or suppliers. Staff should report third-party harassment under this policy. [Role] will investigate and take action, up to warning or barring the offender.
This policy reflects legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 (harassment related to protected characteristics), the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (employer duty of care), and statutory requirements to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.
Working through related paperwork at the same time? See also our US Anti-Harassment Policy Template, UK Data Retention & Disposal Policy Template and US Data Retention Policy Template.
Policy Statement
[Organisation Name] requires a workplace where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We do not tolerate bullying or harassment in any form, at any level.
We handle every complaint seriously, promptly, and as confidentially as a fair process permits. No one will face detriment or retaliation for raising a genuine concern or helping with an investigation.
Definitions
- Bullying: Offensive, intimidating, malicious, or insulting behaviour, or an abuse or misuse of power, intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate, or injure the recipient. It can be a single serious incident or a pattern of behaviour.
- Harassment: Unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic (such as age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation) that violates an individual’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment.
- Sexual Harassment: Unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect outlined in the harassment definition.
- Victimisation: Subjecting someone to detrimental treatment because they raised, supported, or provided evidence for a complaint under this policy.
- Reasonable Management Action: Fair, reasonable, and legitimate management conduct, including honest performance feedback, clear work instructions, and proper management of conduct or absence. Is not bullying or harassment.
Examples of Unacceptable Behaviour
Unacceptable conduct includes, but is not limited to:
- Shouting at, ridiculing, or humiliating someone, especially in front of others.
- Spreading malicious rumours or intentionally excluding someone from work communications, meetings, or social activities.
- Making offensive jokes, remarks, or “banter” about protected characteristics.
- Unwanted physical contact, sexual comments, propositions, or displaying sexually explicit material.
- Misusing seniority by setting impossible targets, arbitrarily stripping responsibilities, or threatening someone’s job security.
- Abusing, mocking, or excluding colleagues through work communication tools or social media.
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Responsibilities
- [Role]: Manages overall policy administration, allocates resources for investigations, and reports anonymised trend data to [Role/Board].
- Managers: Maintain professional standards, act promptly on observed or reported bad conduct without waiting for formal grievances, and never dismiss reports as simple interpersonal conflicts.
- All Personnel: Treat colleagues with dignity and respect, challenge unacceptable behaviour when safe to do so, and report instances of bullying or harassment.
Procedure for Raising a Concern
- Direct Informal Action (Optional): If comfortable doing so, tell the person directly that their conduct is unwelcome and ask them to stop immediately.
- Informal Escalation: If direct action is unsuitable or unsuccessful, raise the matter informally with a manager or [Role]. They can offer guidance, speak to the individual, or arrange formal mediation if both parties agree.
- Formal Complaint: Submit a written report to [Role] (or [Alternative Role] if the complaint involves [Role]). Detail the incidents, dates, times, locations, and any witnesses.
- Formal Processing: We process formal complaints under the organisation’s grievance procedure. All parties have the right to be accompanied at meetings.
- Support Services: Anyone involved in a complaint can access support services via [Role/Contact Information] at any stage.
Investigation and Outcomes
- Investigation: [Role] or a designated independent investigator will investigate formal complaints promptly, impartially, and confidentially. The investigator will interview the complainant, the respondent, and relevant witnesses.
- Interim Measures: We may put temporary protective measures in place during an investigation, such as reassigning duties, adjusting reporting lines, or changing physical working arrangements. These measures are non-punitive and will not disadvantage the complainant.
- Upheld Complaints: If substantiated, we will take disciplinary action under the organisation’s disciplinary policy. Serious harassment is gross misconduct and may result in summary dismissal. Management may also implement wider corrective actions, such as mandatory training or operational adjustments.
- Unsubstantiated Complaints: If a complaint made in good faith is not upheld, the complainant faces no disciplinary action. Management will support both parties to restore a professional working relationship.
- Malicious Complaints: If an investigation shows a complaint was deliberately false or made in bad faith, we will handle it as a disciplinary matter under the disciplinary policy.
Training, Records, and Review
- Training: All staff receive training on this policy during induction and through refresher sessions every [Period]. Managers receive specialized training on early detection, prevention, and complaint handling.
- Records: We store confidential records of all formal complaints, investigations, and outcomes securely in [System/Location], separate from general personnel files, in line with data retention requirements.
- Review: [Role] will review anonymised complaint trends [Frequency]. We will formally review this policy and associated preventive measures [Frequency, e.g., annually].
Next Review Due: [Date]
FAQs on a bullying and harassment policy
What is a bullying and harassment policy?
A bullying and harassment policy applies to all your organisation’s personnel, including employees, workers, agency staff, and contractors. It covers conduct towards colleagues in any work-related setting, the main workplace, client sites, business travel, work social events, and digital channels like group chats and online platforms.
Having it written down means the same rules apply to everyone, so managers are not making judgement calls case by case under pressure.
What does a bullying and harassment policy include?
This template covers examples of unacceptable behaviour, procedure for raising a concern, investigation and outcomes and training, records, and review.
Every section is written to be filled in. The bracketed placeholders mark the decisions that are yours to make, such as timescales, approval owners and retention periods.
How to implement a bullying and harassment policy with Whale
Copy this template into Whale and work through the bracketed placeholders so it reflects how your organisation actually operates.
Assign it to the teams it applies to so it sits where people work rather than in a shared drive, and set a review date so it gets revisited on schedule instead of quietly going out of date.
Use our templates to fast-track your documentation
Customize this template and 100s of others for free in Whale, the fastest way to get your team aligned.