Bullying isn’t left behind in the schoolyard; bullies roam the carpeted halls of businesses too. The Fair Work Act of 2009 specifies bullying as people or groups acting unreasonably toward coworkers in a way that creates a risk to safety or health. While that definition does leave some loopholes for determined bullies to drive through, it does make the worst offenses actionable. There is no minimum number of incidents for the Fair Work Act to apply, so even a single encounter can trigger its protections.
Key Takeaways:
- The Fair Work Act 2009 states that if an employee is being bullied that reasonable action from management must be carried out.
- Anti-bullying orders can be granted through the Fair Work Commission.
- An employer has the responsibility to provide workers with a bully free work environment.
“In most cases, the first step for an employer upon receiving, or becoming aware of, a bullying complaint will be to consider the complaint and determine whether it is sufficiently precise to enable it to potentially constitute bullying and then (and not before) decide whether an investigation should be conducted.”
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