Workplace bullying is repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or a group of workers that can lead to physical or psychological harm.
Repeated behaviour is persistent and can involve a range of actions over time. Unreasonable behaviour means actions that a reasonable person in the same circumstances would see as unreasonable. It includes victimising, humiliating, intimidating or threatening a person. Bullying may also include harassment, discrimination or violence.Creating a mentally healthy workplace is about creating a safe, supportive and strong workplace culture where bullying cannot thrive.
The business or undertaking must effectively deal with workplace bullying however everyone at work has a role to play.
To help you identify if bullying is going on at your workplace WorkSafe has great information on their website here. If you do not have policies in place there is a great template available for you to work from to create one.
The Mental Health Foundation has a great range of resources available as part of their Working Well suite or resources. This includes fact sheets on what bullying looks like, how to facilitate team discussions or how to get help. View these resources here.
One of the components within our Psychological First Aid course is the topic of bullying. To learn more about our Psychological First Aid course, click here.