Bullying and harassment

What is bullying?
What is harassment?
Sexual harassment in the workplace
How can bullying and harassment affect workers?
Support for members/getting help

What is bullying?

Bullying can manifest itself in many obvious ways, such as shouting at staff in public and/or private, instantaneous rages, ‘nit-picking’, personal insults and name-calling, persistent criticism or public humiliation.

There are also more subtle methods:

setting objectives with impossible deadlines
removing areas of responsibility
setting menial tasks
constantly changing working guidelines
ignoring or excluding an individual
turning down leave without good reason
blocking a person’s promotion.

Harassment and bullying are most often exercised by people in positions of power, such as supervisors and managers, who abuse their authority and impose their conduct upon others as a means of control.

But they may also be used by colleagues of equal status, for example because of cultural differences, or because they are men assuming a higher status over women.

They can also be used to humiliate and undermine the authority of a person of higher rank within the organisation.

Employees may suffer harassment from members of the public or customers with whom they are in contact in the course of their work. It is important that an employer’s harassment policy covers this situation.

Employers should take steps to minimise its occurrence, and assure staff that they will be supported if it does happen. Employees should ensure that they report all incidents of harassment by those they are in contact with in the course of their work.

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What is harassment?

All employees have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, in a working environment free from discrimination and harassment.

Actions or behaviours that interfere with that right, and which are unwanted and offensive to the recipient, can be construed as harassment.

It is important to keep sight of this, since behaviour that is acceptable to one person may be offensive to another. Whether or not harassment is intentional, it is its effect upon the recipient that is important.

Harassment is used either to assert or to undermine power or for personal pleasure. Harassment cases that hit the headlines are usually of a sexual or racial nature, but anyone who is perceived as different can be harassed at work.

Types of harassment

Harassing behaviour can take many forms:

comments, ‘banter’, jokes, insults and language related to gender, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or reassignment, religion, age or any other personal characteristic, that is offensive to an individual or group
unnecessary physical touching, horseplay or assault, including sexual assault
suggestive remarks, gestures and innuendo, uninvited and unwanted propositions for sexual activity, leering, whistling
isolating colleagues, generalising or stereotyping them because of their gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, age, colour, race or ethnic origin
offensive or unwanted comments about dress or physical appearance that are unrelated to the requirements of an individual’s job
assuming that physical disability equals mental disability – for example, speaking to a disabled person’s colleagues rather than to them, or imposing unwanted ‘assistance’ with work
making assumptions about an individual’s private life
graffiti that is racially or sexually based or refers to an individual’s personal characteristics or private life
displaying offensive material, including pornographic or sexually suggestive pictures, pin-ups and calendars or racially offensive objects
inappropriate use of email and internet sites
encouraging others in any of these activities.

You may be a witness to an incident of harassment. It should be reported:

if you feel harassed or offended by the behaviour
because we all have a role in creating a working environment free from harassment – by ensuring that our own behaviour does not cause offence, by making it clear to colleagues that harassing behaviour is unacceptable, and by supporting others who suffer harassment.

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Sexual harassment in the workplace

According to UK law, sexual harassment is unwanted conduct or behaviour related to sex, or of a sexual nature, which has the purpose or effect of:

violating the other’s dignity, or
creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment.

The legal definition also encompasses less favourable treatment because of rejection (or submission) of unwanted conduct of a sexual nature or related to gender reassignment or sex.

The law can apply to one-off incidents, or to patterns of behaviour. We must not underestimate the cumulative effect a pattern of ‘low-level’, even unintentional, sexual harassment can have on the victim. At its worst, sexual harassment destroys careers, and damages mental health.

Prospect’s Sexual Harassment Support Service

If you’re a Prospect member and you think you have experienced sexual harassment, we’re here for you.

Our Sexual Harassment Support Service is staffed by a specially trained team who are here to listen to you and guide you through any formal process, should you wish. If you just want to report a case of sexual harassment and remain anonymous, that is fine, too.

Contact the Sexual Harassment Support Service via email on [email protected] or call us on 0207 902 6647 to arrange a time for a call back with a member of the team. Our team are available between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday and our specially trained team will be in touch.

Fill in our contact form and our specially trained team will be in touch.

“From speaking to our members in defence, we found that 60% of women in the sector had been sexually harassed at work. We cannot allow this behaviour to go unaddressed. If we want to stamp out sexual harassment from the workplace for good, those who have experienced sexual harassment need a voice. Our Sexual Harassment Support Service team will be there to provide care, support and legal advice.”

Helen Carp, AWE branch assistant secretary and Prospect NEC member

Download our guide

Prospect members:
Download Prospect‘s workplace guide to dealing with sexual harassment

Bectu members:
Download Bectu’s workplace guide to dealing with sexual harassment for creative industry workers.

Watch Bectu’s webinar: tackling sexual harassment in the creative industries: On Wednesday 27 November 2024, Bectu was joined by creative industry leaders to discuss sexual harassment in the sector and the work happening to tackle it. You can watch a recording of the webinar here. Hear from:

Zelda Perkins, Can’t Buy My Silence: on the campaign to ban NDAs to cover up bullying and harassment
Jen Smith, the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA): on the progress of setting up CIISA
Niyi Akeju, CIISA: on the work that has been done to create pan-creative industries standards
Philippa Childs, Bectu: on Bectu’s and Prospect’s work to combat workplace sexual harassment.

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How can bullying and harassment affect workers?

Bullying and harassment in the workplace is an abuse of personal power or official authority.

It can humiliate people, destroy their confidence, have a detrimental effect on their health and hit attendance and job performance.

Careers may be damaged in the long term, ultimately leading to resignation.

Download our guide to harassment and bullying

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Get support as a member

Prospect seeks to raise awareness of what constitutes unacceptable behaviour, to help prevent it from occurring. We also advise members and representatives on how to deal with it.

If you’re a Prospect member and you’re unsure whether a situation you’re experiencing classifies as harassment, please speak to your local representative or contact us.

Members are advised to contact their local rep and/or full-time officer at the earliest opportunity. A full-time officer should always be involved if it seems likely that a case will proceed to an employment tribunal.

If you’re not sure who your full-time officer is contact us on 0300 600 1878.

For advice/support please call the member contact centre on 0300 600 1878 (Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 6pm) or email [email protected]. All enquiries will be treated with complete confidentiality.

Workplace and other legal assistance is offered at the discretion of the union, and is decided on the facts and merits of each case. For full details see Prospect’s guide to legal advice.