Trade union involvement

Acas points out that a bullying and harassment policy will carry more weight if staff are involved in its development. As bullying and harassment have been identified by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as significant causes of stress at work, this is a legitimate issue for safety reps, who can use their legal rights to be consulted over policies and changes, investigate the issues, inspect the workplace and talk to members in confidence.

Public services union UNISON says the policy should spell out the role of trade union reps in receiving complaints and educating staff about bullying. Giving them equal status to managers in this matter builds confidence among employees, it says. As reps may be asked to represent both targets and alleged perpetrators of bullying, they need training that equips them to deal with both sides of the problem.