BULLYING & HARASSMENT

ACAS provides definitions for both:

Bullying – regular intimidation that undermines the confidence and capability of the victim. It can take the form of verbal abuse, physical violence allocation of blame and generally “picking on”.

Harassment – behaviour towards another causing offence. Examples include inappropriate language/jokes, ridicule, unwelcome physical contact, racial abuse etc.

Although this is a significant problem in the UK workplace, there is no specific employment legislation in place to protect those suffering from such abuse. However legal assistance is available via other parts of the employment regime so a claim for bullying and harassment can be brought if the employee can show that the abuse was motivated by some form of discrimination. Similarly an employee can seek compensation in general law under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. The level of damages available in both regimes is unlimited and as a result some very significant sums have been awarded by the Courts recently e.g. in the case of Horkulak –v- Cantor Fitzgerald International (2003) compensation of over £900,000.00 was awarded to a senior market trader in the City of London.