Workplace Bullying and Harassment: Legal Guidance and Support

At HKKLAW, we can provide expert advice on matters involving bullying and harassment.

For employees, experiencing workplace bullying or harassment is not only distressing but also unacceptable. Recognising the serious impact these behaviours can have on your well-being and career, HKKLAW  can support you. We guide you through every step of addressing these issues, from documenting incidents and exploring both informal and formal resolution avenues, to understanding and asserting your legal rights. Our support extends to assisting you in raising grievances and pursuing legal action, when necessary, to ensure your rights and well-being are protected.

For employers, creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive work environment is not just a moral imperative but a legal one. Employers play a crucial role in preventing workplace bullying and harassment through proactive measures such as implementing effective anti-bullying policies, providing staff training, and responding promptly and appropriately to reports of misconduct. HKKLAW assists in drafting workplace policies, providing guidance and assistance thorough investigations and advising on preventative strategies to foster a culture of respect and safety for all employees.

HKKLAW is committed to combating workplace bullying and harassment through expert legal advice and support. Our goal is to ensure a safe and healthy workplace for everyone, underpinned by respect, integrity, and legal compliance.

Understanding Bullying and Harassment:

Workplace bullying and harassment involve unwanted behaviour that makes someone feel intimidated, degraded, humiliated, or offended. It is not necessarily always overt; it can also be subtle and insidious. This behaviour can come from colleagues, supervisors or any individual connected to the workplace.

Key Aspects of Bullying and Harassment:

1. Forms of Behaviour can include verbal insults, unjustified criticism, exclusion, overbearing supervision, spreading malicious rumours or denying someone’s training or promotion opportunities.
2. Bullying and harassment can lead to increased stress, anxiety and depression, negatively impacting an individual’s work performance and overall well-being.
3. Bullying itself is not illegal, but harassment is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010 when it is related to age, sex, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.
4. It is important for employees to know how and where to report bullying or harassment. Employers should have clear policies and procedures for dealing with such complaints.