Although Fair Work Commission’s first anti-bullying quarterly report released in April showed fewer than expected applications for an order to stop bullying at work, it is evident from court cases and case studies now reaching the media that bullying at work is occurring, and presents a serious risk to worker health and safety.

Most of the state-based WHS regulators have released detailed guidance materials for employers on the management and prevention of workplace bullying and harassment, not to mention the materials made available by Safe Work Australia and the Fair Work Commission themselves.

However, if your workplace hasn’t yet focussed attention on addressing this work health and safety risk, some preliminary consideration of the following points will assist to set the context for specific controls:

  • Positive work culture: a work culture based on respect will minimise the likelihood of bullying behaviours developing. Managers need to model the manners towards and respect for others that they would like to see in workers.
  • Participation and consultation: openly surveying the experience of workers and asking for their help to identify problems will help an employer recognise bullying risks in the workplace and provide the information required to determine appropriate controls.
  • Organisational capacity: check if the skills and training are in place to enable managers and supervisors to reliably recognise and appropriately respond to signs of bullying or worker complaints.
  • Systems and procedures: in the best workplace culture, communicative workers and skilled managers notwithstanding, the risk to worker health and safety will not be fully addressed until appropriate processes are developed and implemented for the prevention and management of workplace bullying. This should include at least a policy statement clearly identifying that workplace bullying and harassment is unacceptable to the organisation, procedures for tactfully investigating complaints, and processes for protecting and supporting victims and for counselling wrongdoers.

As shown by a recent study of Australian businesses, organisations that don’t look after the mental health of their employees struggle to attract and retain the best workers. It’s in the interest of both worker safety and business bottom line to get on top of workplace bullying.

Please contact QRMC for more information.