Introduction

The Company recognises the right of all employees to be treated with respect and dignity and is committed to providing a positive work environment with policy and practices for the elimination of all kinds of harassment and bullying. Harassment or bullying at work in any form is unacceptable and will not be permitted or condoned.

All employees should take the time to ensure they understand what types of behaviour are unacceptable under this policy. This Policy covers harassment, including sexual harassment, or bullying which occurs both in and out of the workplace, such as on business trips, customer sites or at work-related social functions.  This policy applies to all employees and people working for and on behalf of the Company (including managers, directors, agency workers, and contractors) All colleagues must treat each other with dignity and respect.  Even unintentional harassment or bullying is unacceptable.

This policy applies to all interactions, including with customers, suppliers, visitors, and other individuals or organisations we engage with professionally. If any employee is found to be harassing or bullying anyone from these groups, our internal disciplinary process outlined below will apply. However, if an employee is on the receiving end of harassment or bullying from a third party, the "Press Pause" policy will provide our approach to such situations, including the support available and the next steps that will be taken to ensure your safety and well-being.

The Company will treat allegations of harassment or bullying seriously.  Anyone found to be in breach of this policy will be liable to disciplinary action which could result in their dismissal.

Harassment related to age, disability, gender reassignment, race and ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation is unlawful.  Both the harasser and the Company may be held liable for this conduct.  Harassment may also be a criminal offence and give rise to a civil claim. It may also violate health and safety legislation.

This harassment policy is not contractual but informs individuals of the types of behaviour that are unacceptable and provides staff who are the victims of harassment or bullying with a means of redress. The Company may amend the policy from time to time when it considers it appropriate to do so.

What is harassment?

Harassment takes many forms, occurs on a variety of different grounds and can be directed at one person or many people.  Harassment is conduct that is unwanted by the recipient and which the recipient finds offensive or unacceptable.  It can include unwelcome physical, verbal or nonverbal conduct.  It can also include circulating information or images via e-mail, messaging platforms, or the internet.  Conduct can be harassment even if it was not intended to violate the recipient’s dignity, but has had that effect.

Harassment and bullying can reduce the effectiveness of the Company by undermining the confidence of staff and increase sickness absence and staff turnover.  Staff have the right to work in an environment free from harassment, bullying and any other type of intimidation.

A single incident may amount to harassment if it is sufficiently serious.  In the case of sexual harassment in particular, it is important to note that it is the unwanted nature of the conduct which distinguishes harassment from friendly behaviour which is welcome and mutual.

Harassment can be based on a wide variety of characteristics including:

• race, ethnic origin, nationality or skin colour;
• gender;
• gender re-assignment;
• sexual orientation;
• disabilities, including sensory impairments or learning difficulties;
• religion or belief;
• age;
• membership or non-membership of a trade union;
• being in an inferior position in terms of power or hierarchy (leading to bullying);
• willingness to challenge harassment (leading to victimisation).

It is important to be aware that harassment may occur even if an individual does not actually have a protected characteristic him or herself or was not the intended target.

For example:

• someone who is perceived to be gay (though actually heterosexual) may suffer harassment related to sexual orientation;
• someone who is offended by racially abusive language may suffer harassment related to race even if they are not of that race themselves;
• an employee who cares for a relative may suffer harassment where offensive conduct relates to the disability of the person they care for.

While not an exhaustive list, forms of harassment include:

• physical contact (including invasion of personal space, pushing, touching as well as violence or threatened violence);
• jokes and pranks;
• obscene gestures, verbal abuse, offensive language;
• gossip, slander;
• obscene or offensive e-mail, screen-savers etc;
• posting of offensive material on the internet;
• obscene or offensive posters, graffiti, or letters;
• requests for sexual favours;
• threat of dismissal or loss of promotion for refusal of sexual favours;
• unwanted comments about personal appearance or private life;
• the display of emblems or flags;
• isolation or non-co-operation and exclusion;
• intrusion by pestering, spying and stalking.

What is bullying?

Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour that can make a person feel vulnerable, upset, humiliated, undermined or threatened.  It can take the form of physical, verbal and nonverbal conduct.  Bullying may include, by way of example:

• shouting at, being sarcastic towards, ridiculing or demeaning others;
• physical or psychological threats;
• overbearing and intimidating levels of supervision;
• inappropriate and/or derogatory remarks about someone’s performance;
• abuse of authority or power by those in positions of seniority; or
• deliberately excluding someone from meetings or communications without good reason.

Legitimate, reasonable and constructive criticism of a worker’s performance or behaviour, or reasonable instructions given to workers in the course of their employment, will not amount to bullying on their own.

• Employees’ responsibilities:

• Managers’ responsibilities:

Preventative Duty and Company Responsibilities:

The Company recognises its preventative duty to create and maintain a work environment that is free from harassment, including sexual harassment. To support the principles set out in this policy, it will:

• Conduct annual risk assessments to assess risks in the work environment, including lone and home working, and social events.
• Conduct customer site risk assessments and share our policies with third parties to ensure a safe, respectful environment in all work settings
• Ensure that adequate resources are made available to promote respect and dignity in the workplace and to effectively address complaints of harassment or bullying.
• Communicate this policy to all members of staff and ensure it is accessible to all by including it in the company handbook.
• Ensure that managers, supervisors, and any other staff involved in operating the complaints procedure understand their responsibilities under this policy and arrange appropriate training as needed.

The HR Department will provide confidential assistance to employees subjected to harassment or bullying and will support the resolution of any issues, whether through formal or informal means.

Scope and use of harassment procedure:

Due to the seriousness with which the Company views harassment and bullying, informal and formal reporting procedures have been introduced which are separate from and replace the Company’s Grievance Procedure as a mechanism for dealing with complaints.

If you are the victim of harassment, including sexual harassment, or bullying, you must not hesitate to use this procedure for fear of victimisation. Retaliation against an employee who brings a complaint of harassment or bullying is a serious disciplinary offence which may constitute gross misconduct.