How should employers investigate complaints?

Acas makes clear that employers should do all they can to try to prevent bullying happening (see Chapter 2) and that employers and managers should “take any bullying complaint seriously and look into it as soon as possible”.

A complaint could come from an employee or job applicant as well as from an employee who has witnessed bullying or discrimination directed at someone else, or a trade union or employee representative raising the issue on behalf of an employee.

It advises employers to look into the complaint in a way that is fair and sensitive to the person who made the complaint; anyone who witnessed it; and anyone accused of bullying or discrimination.

Even where someone makes a complaint a long time after an incident has taken place, they should still take it seriously.

The organisation’s policy on handling bullying or harassment complaints should set out who should handle the complaint and what procedure to follow. If there is no policy, a person receiving a complaint should check with a senior manager or their organisation’s HR department for advice on the correct procedure.