Overview
Workplace Bullying, Harassment & Discrimination is a significant psychological hazard and it should not be tolerated in any workplace. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure that bullying does not occur. Efforts should be made to create a workplace environment where there are good management practices, effective communication and where everyone is expected to work and behave professionally and treat each other with tolerance, dignity and respect.
You witness a fellow colleague taken into a manager’s office, and aggressively confronted with allegations, with no opportunity to respond, time and again. You see your colleague systematically undermined by being provided with incomplete information and then being disciplined for not fully completing their job.
You hear rumours and innuendo about your co-worker being spread by another co-worker. You observe a member of your team being asked to undertake menial tasks, or tasks that are well beyond their capacity and scope. You notice your teammate being excessively scrutinised in relation to their performance, and being questioned over and over. All of these examples potentially constitute workplace bullying, and can have psychological and physical consequences. People who have been bullied often experience stress, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem, which can manifest physically in the form of stomach aches, headaches and other symptoms.
Bullying, Harassment & Discrimination in the workplace can have a seriously detrimental effect on morale, sick leave rates, staff retention and turnover, and potentially increased workers compensation costs and occupational health and safety prosecutions.
The Workplace Bullying, Harassment & Discrimination Masterclass will bring together expert speakers to discuss policy and practices for combatting workplace bullying.
Learning Objectives
- Reviewing and Understanding the Harassment Act – What this means to you
- Psychological risk & impact
- Harassment vs Bullying Behaviour – What’s the difference?
- Impact of COVID-19 on workplace bullying, harassment, and discrimination
- Managing workplace tensions — tips for mitigating conflicts between colleagues which may not constitute harassment but create problems in the workplace
- How to address instances of harassment and bullying of employees by customers, patrons, or other third parties
- Can words be violence: what actions should be taken when certain phrases are uttered and when should these actions be taken?
- Online bullying: how negative interactions between colleagues via social media and on the internet can affect workplace relationships and what should, or can, employers do?
- Identifying when a workplace incident triggers a human rights issue, a criminal law issue, an occupational health and safety issue, or other concern
- Best practices — understanding the implications and impact of each of these triggers
- What acts or omissions have the Courts found to amount to a breach of the duty of care owed by an employer to a worker?
- When a breach of the duty of care owed has been found – what have the Courts allowed for loss and damage in relation to a pure psychiatric injury?
- How to Prepare for and have Key Crucial Conversations with staff – without accusations of bullying
- How to Provide a Facilitated Discussion for Staff with Non-Serious Conflict – early intervention is a key in preventing escalation and bullying
Who should attend?
Directors, Heads, Specialists and Senior Managers who are responsible for:
- Human Resources
- Employee/Employment Relations
- Industrial Relations
- Workplace Relations
- People and Culture
- Workforce Management
Topics Covered
- Mediating Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination Complaints-Investigating Workplace Behaviour
- A Trauma-Informed Approach To Workplace Investigations
- A Criminal Law Perspective on Workplace Violence
- Key Challenges in Preventing and Managing Workplace Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination
- Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination – What are your WHS obligations?
- Positive Use of Power in Workplace Leadership –Building a Zero Tolerance Culture
- It starts at the Top – Not just Policy, Reasonable and Responsible Management, is the key to Workplace Harmony
- Reviewing The “Anti-Bullying Measures”
- The Positive Duty Under the Sex Discrimination Act & AHRC Enforcement Powers
