Key points
- If you feel you are being bullied or harassed, there are a range of internal and external support options for you to get support.
- Workplaces must take reasonable steps to support employees through any allegations of bullying and harassment.
- Reviewing and acting on reports of bullying and harassment may involve either early intervention or formal investigation processes.
- There are several ways you can respond if you witness bullying, harassment or inappropriate behaviour, depending on how safe you feel to intervene.
Where can I go for support?
It’s important to get the right help and, depending on your situation, it might be appropriate for you to seek guidance internally or from another organisation.
Internal support options include speaking to a supervisor or manager, a Health and Safety representative, a human resource contact, Equal Employment Opportunity officer or a union representative. If your health service is part of the independent facilitator trial, you can contact the independent facilitator via the Better Safer Care (opens in a new window).
You can also seek support and advice from external organisations including:
What processes exist for responding to reports of bullying and harassment?
Workplaces must take reasonable steps to support employees through any allegations of bullying and harassment. Reviewing and acting on reports of bullying and harassment may involve either early intervention or a formal investigation.
Early intervention usually suits situations where bullying or harassment may have just occurred, or has not escalated. It is a way of solving an issue without a formal report, investigation or discipline being taken against an individual.
Early intervention can be achieved through an individual self-managing a situation or seeking help from someone else to raise the issue.
Where early intervention is not appropriate, a formal investigation may be conducted. Investigations may be undertaken by human resources professionals within the health service or external to the health service, dependent on the circumstances and availability of the necessary resources. The person investigating should be impartial and experienced. Supervisors should be provided with information and training about when it is appropriate to escalate an issue to a formal investigation.
WorkSafe Victoria’s guidance on bullying prevention and response provides a detailed overview of how reports are investigated. This can be found on the WorkSafe Victoria website(opens in a new window).
For further information on harassment see the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission website(opens in a new window).
What should I do if I see bullying or harassment at work?
There are several ways you can respond if you witness bullying, harassment or inappropriate behaviour, depending on how safe you feel to intervene.
Here are some suggestions:
Updated