What is harassment?

Harassment is any unwanted behaviour that violates an individual's dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for an individual.

Under the Equality Act 2010, harassment is unwanted conduct which is related to one of the following protected characteristics listed below and is therefore unlawful:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sex and sexual orientation

What is bullying?

Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means that undermine, humiliate or injure the recipient.

What is victimisation?

Victimisation broadly refers to bad treatment directed towards someone who has made or is believed to have made or supported a complaint under the Equality Act.

Victimisation includes situations where a complaint hasn't yet been made but someone is victimised because it's suspected they might make one.

If an individual gives false evidence or makes an allegation in bad faith, they are not protected from victimisation under the Equality Act.

Why is it important for the Trust to actively prevent harassment and bullying at work?

Bullying and harassment can create an unhappy and unproductive workplace. If the situation is not managed effectively this can lead to a number of other staff and organisational problems, examples of which are as follows:

• Poor morale and employee relations
• Loss of respect for managers or supervisors
• Poor performance
• Lost productivity
• Absence
• Resignations
• Tribunal, court cases and payment of unlimited compensation