Bullying or harassment concerns can affect your health, confidence and career. This hub helps Civil Service employees identify the issue, choose the right route and find focused guidance without assuming that every difficult management decision is bullying.
On this page
Start by identifying the problem
Bullying is often used as a broad description for intimidating, humiliating, hostile or undermining behaviour. There is no single legal claim called workplace bullying. Harassment has a narrower legal meaning when unwanted conduct is connected to a protected characteristic, or is sexual in nature. Your department may also use a wider dignity at work or bullying and harassment policy.
Repeated hostile behaviour
Public criticism, threats, personal attacks, deliberate humiliation, isolation or a pattern of undermining may require formal attention.
A single serious incident
One incident can still be significant, especially where it involves threats, discriminatory language, sexual conduct or serious humiliation.
Management action
Work allocation, feedback, attendance action and performance management may be legitimate. The way they are carried out can still be unreasonable or discriminatory.
Retaliation after a concern
A sudden negative record, exclusion, hostility or process escalation after you complained should be documented carefully and assessed against the facts.
Choose the page that matches your situation
- Work out whether the behaviour may count as bullying or harassment.
- Separate bullying from reasonable management action.
- Build a reliable evidence record.
- Raise concerns informally where that route is safe and useful.
- Prepare a focused formal complaint.
- Understand an investigation into your complaint.
- Prepare for a complaint or fact-finding meeting.
- Use witnesses and supporting evidence properly.
- Assess harassment linked to a protected characteristic.
- Respond to retaliation or possible victimisation.
- Deal with stress, sickness and Occupational Health.
- Request temporary measures, reduced contact or a move.
- Review a complaint outcome and consider the next route.
What to do now
Possible routes
The right route depends on the conduct, risk, evidence and your objective. Options can include an informal conversation, mediation, a manager above the person involved, a formal bullying or harassment complaint, a grievance, an equality complaint, temporary workplace measures or a linked disciplinary investigation. Department policies differ, so check which route your employer provides.
Members can unlock: the complete bullying and harassment action plan, including a risk assessment, evidence-file system, route selector, wording bank, complaint structure and tactics for health, temporary measures, investigation and outcome review.
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