New anti-bullying legislation came into effect 1/1/2014. The Fair Work Commission (FWC) is now able to investigate your workplace if one of your employees lodges a complaint. You and your managers need to be able to handle complaints of bullying so that they don’t escalate out of your control.
Make sure you have policies and processes in place to deal effectively with any harassment allegations that may arise. Regular training of your staff in dealing with workplace harassment is one sound strategy to ensure you have a compliant workplace.
You also need to role model exemplary behaviour. Your employees look to you and your managers to gauge what behaviour is acceptable. If you suspect any of your senior people are bullies you need to take immediate action before it spirals out of control and you find yourself facing not only a hefty fine from the FWC but also a huge workers’ compensation payout.
Be ever vigilant and get an HR professional in to help you sort it out before it’s too late. Don’t think it could never happen to you.