Bullying at Work

What is bullying in the workplace?

There are steps you can take to stop bullying at work. Our employment law solicitors know how distressing it can be and damaging to your confidence. Mental health and general self-esteem.

Sometimes employers do not take claims of bullying seriously or fail to act appropriately to stop the harassment from happening. If this is your experience then you may be eligible to make a claim for compensation to seek damages for pain and suffering.

Bullying at work can take a number of different forms. It can include rudeness, arguments, physical confrontation, inappropriate criticism. being given unmanageable workloads can also be a form of bullying as it may lead to psychological harm and make you unhappy and unable to manage.

Bullying can lead to mental health issues including anxiety and depression. You may be in a part of a team and feel you are treated differently from your other colleagues. We know that some people are more at risk than others. Statistics show that women experience a higher level of bullying than men.

What forms of bullying at work could I claim compensation for?

The term bullying is encompassed within a number of different types of harassment at work. These different types are defined within the Equality Act 2010. Here are some examples which may be covered by the Act, they include:

• Impacting on and harming your career progression

• Receiving ongoing criticism and being undermined by managers and team members can be construed as harassment

• Unequal treatment – everyone has the right to be treated equally and fairly at work

• Offensive statements – making jokes to be hurtful or using offensive words is a very recognisable form of bullying at work

• Rumours and gossip spread with malicious intent

What is harassment & bullying?

Harassment

Harassment is defined by the Equality Act 2010 as unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic which has the purpose or effect of violating an employee’s dignity or creating an intimidating, degrading or hostile environment for that person. Protected characteristics could be age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Bullying

Bullying isn’t defined by law, but is characterised by offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour which undermines or humiliates an employee. This can be through the abuse or misuse of power and can take many forms.

Why choose Hodge Jones & Allen?

Lawyers who are experts

Our team understands the legal complexities involved and we are experts in handling bullying and harassment claims across many different industry sectors.

Solicitors who understand

We appreciate how daunting it can be for an individual to come forward, when they might be deeply upset about their treatment or worried about their career prospects. Our solicitors go out of their way to ensure our clients feel supported and advised every step of the way. We know that each case is different and we pride ourselves on our caring, highly personalised approach.

Lawyers who fight your corner

You should never have to accept bullying or harassment whilst at work. Your employer has a duty of care to protect you from such behaviour in the workplace. If you make a complaint about bullying or harassment then your employer should conduct a prompt and objective investigation.

What outcome can I expect?

If you decide to take a claim to the Employment Tribunal then you may be able to secure compensation, an apology and push for changes in working practice to prevent further incidents in future.

Another option may be to negotiate an exit from your employer by way of a Settlement Agreement and we can guide you through this process.