Common law protection

Under the common law, employers can be (and have been) held liable for psychiatric or psychological damage caused by bullying or harassment at work. The discussion above on psychiatric injury caused by work-related stress (see pages 131-132) applies equally here.

There is more detailed information available in the LRD’s annual employment law handbook Law at Work and LRD guides: Equality Law at Work — a guide for trade unions and working people;Tackling bullying and harassment at work — a guide for union reps and workers; and Tackling sexual harassment at work – an LRD guide (March 2023).