Other important rights

Many other important employment rights are likely to be relevant to an employee suffering from bullying and harassment. For example, many rights, such as the right to belong to a trade union, to take part in lawful trade union activities at an appropriate time, to take parental leave or to ask for the minimum wage, or rights connected to whistle-blowing, are specifically protected by employment legislation.

An employee has the right not to be subjected to a detriment (for example, being refused a promotion or being subjected to disciplinary performance management) or dismissed for exercising these statutory employment rights.

There are also laws protecting workers from victimisation. Victimisation is a precise legal concept. It relates to retaliatory behaviour by an employer against someone who has made a claim of discrimination or harassment against an employer under the equality legislation, or who has supported somebody else’s claim, for example by giving evidence.

There are very strict time limits for any claim in the Employment Tribunal. For information on these rights, as well as on time limits, see the latest edition of LRD’s Law at work www.lrdpublications.org.uk/publications.php?pub=BK&iss=1621