LRD guides and handbook August 2013

Health and safety law 2013

Chapter 11

Practical steps to combat bullying

Employees should never suffer bullying in silence. The TUC publishes online guidance about what you can do to help yourself: www.tuc.org.uk/tuc/rights_bullyatwork.cfm#beingbullied

Key points to remember are:

• tell someone — a colleague, a manager, your union rep if you have one. You may not be the only person suffering in this way. The problem may be systemic and a union rep may be able to help persuade management to address it as an organisational as opposed to an individual issue. In any event, a victim of bullying should not attempt to deal with it alone; and

• keep a diary, and retain any evidence, for example screen prints of malicious Facebook entries, copies of text messages, emails and so on. Keep a record of any visits you make to the GP for associated problems such as anxiety or insomnia.