BULLYING

WORKPLACE BULLYING INCLUDES:

Teasing or making the brunt of practical jokes

Displaying degrading or offensive material

Info Sheet:
Bullying & Harassment

Assigning meaningless tasks unrelated to the job

Yelling, screaming or offensive language

Intimidating through inappropriate personal comments

Spreading gossip, rumours and innuendo of a malicious nature

Overloading an employee with work

Giving employees impossible tasks

Unfair treatment re workplace entitlements such as leave or training

Excluding or isolating employees

Behaviour or language that frightens, humiliates, belittles or degrades

Deliberately changed work rosters to inconvenience particular employees

Harmful or offensive initiations

Psychological harassment

Undermining work performance by withholding info vital for effective performance

Physical assault

Intruding on personal space by pestering, spying or tampering with personal or work items Verbal abuse

For more information on bullying & harassment go to www.cpsu.com.au/get_help.htm

Authorised by Tom Lynch, Community & Public Sector Union 157 Collins Street Hobart 6234 1708

CPSU

AmoredetailedprocedureforassistingaMemberthroughadisciplinaryprocessisincludedatPart
4Resources.

BullyingandHarassment

Bullyingandharassmentarenotacceptableformsofworkplacebehaviorinanyworkplace.Apart
frombeingillegal,thesetypesofbehaviorsdestroyrelationships,reduceproductivityandresultin
illness.Everyoneinaworkplacehasaroleinensuringbullyingandharassmentareeliminated.
Workplacebullyingreferstoanybehaviorthatisrepeated,systematicanddirectedtowardsa
singleemployeeorgroupofemployeesthatareasonableperson,havingregardtothe
circumstances,wouldexpecttovictimise,humiliate,undermineorthreatenandwhichcreatesa
risktohealthandsafety.
Thekeyelementsarethatthebehavioris:

BULLYING
1. Repeatedthismeansthebehaviororarangeofunacceptablebehaviorsarepersistentor
ongoing.

2. Systematicthismeansthebehaviorexhibitsorinvolvesamethodoraplan.

3. Riskshealthandsafetythismeansthebehaviorinvolvesanincreasedrisktothe
emotional,mentalorphysicalhealthofaperson(s)intheworkplace.

WhatisBullying?

Examplesofbullyingbehaviormayinclude:

Abusive,insultingoroffensivelanguage
Behaviororlanguagethatfrightens,humiliates,belittlesordegrades,includingcriticism
thatisdeliveredwithyellingandscreaming
Teasingorregularlymakingsomeonethebruntofpracticaljokes

Displayingmaterialthatisdegradingoroffending

Spreadinggossip,rumorsandinnuendoofamaliciousnature

...
Violence,assaultandstalkingareextremeformsofbullyingthatconstituteacriminaloffence.
Suchbehaviorshouldbereporteddirectlytothepolice.Examplesinclude,butarenotlimitedto:

Harmfuloroffensiveinitiationpractices;
Physicalassaultorunlawfulthreats.

NOTES

28

Workplacebullyingcanalsobesubtleandmayincludebehaviorsuchas:

Deliberatelyexcluding,isolatingormarginalisingapersonfromnormalworkplace
activities;
Intrudingonapersonsspacebypestering,spyingortamperingwiththeirpersonaleffects
orworkequipment;
Intimidatingapersonthroughinappropriatepersonalcomments,belittlingopinionsor
Displaying degrading or offensive material
Teasing or making the brunt of practical jokes
unjustifiedcriticism.

WORKPLACE BULLYING INCLUDES:

Assigning meaningless tasks unrelated to the job

Yelling, screaming or offensive language

Overloading an employee with work

Intimidating
through inappropriate personal comments
Covertbehaviourthatundermines,treatslessfavorablyordisempowersothersisalsobullying.
SpreadingForexample:
gossip, rumours and innuendo of a malicious nature
Unfair treatment re workplace entitlements such as leave or training

Giving employees impossible tasks

Excluding or isolating employees

Overloadingapersonwithwork;
Behaviour or language
that frightens, humiliates, belittles or degrades Harmful or offensive initiations

Settingtimelinesthatareverydifficulttoachieve,orconstantlychangingdeadlines;
Psychological harassment
Deliberately changed work rosters to inconvenience particular employees

Settingtasksthatareunreasonablybeyondapersonsability;
Physical assault
Undermining work performance by withholding info vital for effective performance
Ignoringorisolatingaperson;
Intruding on personal
space by pestering, spying or tampering with personal or work items Verbal abuse
Deliberatelydenyingaccesstoinformation,consultationorresources;
more information on bullying & harassment go to www.cpsu.com.au/get_help.htm
ForUnfairtreatmentinrelationtoaccessingworkplaceentitlements,suchasleaveortraining.

WhatIsntBullying?

Authorised by Tom Lynch, Community & Public Sector Union 157 Collins Street Hobart 6234 1708

CPSU

Overloadingapersonwithwork;
Settingtimelinesthatareverydifficulttoachieve,orconstantlychangingdeadlines;
Settingtasksthatareunreasonablybeyondapersonsability;
Ignoringorisolatingaperson;
Deliberatelydenyingaccesstoinformation,consultationorresources;
Unfairtreatmentinrelationtoaccessingworkplaceentitlements,suchasleaveortraining.

WhatIsntBullying?
Bullyingbehaviordoesnotinclude:
Friendlybanter,lightheartedexchanges,mutuallyacceptablejokesandcompliments;
Friendship,sexualorotherwise,wherebothpartiesconsenttotherelationship;
Issuingareasonableinstructionandexpectingittobecarriedout;
Warningordiscipliningapersonconsistentwithanorganisationalpolicy;
Insistingonhighstandardsofperformanceintermsofquality,safetyandteamwork;
Legitimatecriticismaboutworkperformancedeliveredinareasonablemanner;
Providingnegativefeedbackonperformanceaspartofaperformanceappraisaland

requiringjustifiedperformanceimprovements;

Expressingalternateviewsinanassertivemanner;

Openandfrankdiscussiononworkplaceissues;or
...
ReasonableactiontakeninareasonablemannerunderanActaffectinganemployee;

BULLYING

NOTES

29

RightsandresponsibilitieswithregardtoBullying

Allworkersincludingmanagershavearightto:

asafeandharassmentfreeworkplace;
complainaboutbehaviortheyconsidertobeinappropriateandfortheircomplainttobe
takenseriously;
tobetreatedwithnaturaljusticeincircumstanceswhereallegationsofbullyingaremade
againstthem;and
totalktoandberepresentedbyaunionDelegateorOrganiser.

Workersareresponsibleto:

notbeinvolvedinbehaviorthatconstitutesbullyingorharassment;
totreatotherworkersinthesamemannertheyexpecttobetreated;
totellotherworkersabouthowtheirbehaviormakesthemfeel;
tolistentootherworkerstellthemabouthowtheirbehaviormakesthemfeel;
tointervenewhentheywitnessinappropriatebehavior;and
tocomplywithlegalrequirementsandorganisationalpolicies.

WORKPLACE BULLYING INCLUDES:

Employersandmanagersareresponsibleto:

Maintainasafeandharassmentfreeworkplace;
Educatestafftoensuretheycomplywithlegalrequirementsandorganisationalpolicies;
Displaying degrading or offensive material
Teasing or making
the brunt of practical jokes
Conductcomplaintprocessesinamannerconsistentwithpoliciesandthatupholdsthe
principlesofnaturaljusticeandproceduralfairness;
Yelling, screaming or offensive language
Assigning meaningless
tasks unrelated to the job
Modelappropriatebehavioratalltimes;
Overloading an employee with work
Intimidating through
inappropriate personal comments
Giving employees impossible tasks
Spreading gossip,
rumours and innuendo of a malicious nature
Intervenetostopanyinappropriatebehavior;and
Excluding or isolating employees
Unfair treatment
workplace entitlements such as leave or training
re
Ensuresuitablesupportsystemsareinplaceforthosewhohavebeenbulliedorharassed.
Behaviour or language that frightens, humiliates, belittles or degrades
Deliberately changed work rosters to inconvenience particular employees

Harmful or offensive initiations

Psychological harassment

Undermining work performance by withholding info vital for effective performance

Physical assault

Intruding on personal space by pestering, spying or tampering with personal or work items Verbal abuse

For more information on bullying & harassment go to www.cpsu.com.au/get_help.htm

NOTES

Authorised by Tom Lynch, Community & Public Sector Union 157 Collins Street Hobart 6234 1708

CPSU