Bullying & Harassment Donegal

Understanding Workplace Bullying 

Bullying is  defined as repeated inappropriate behaviour, direct or indirect, whether verbal, physical or otherwise, conducted by one or more persons against another or others, at the place of work and/or in the course of employment, which could reasonably be regarded as undermining the individual‘s right to dignity at work. Failure to address such behavior not only breaches workplace safety laws but also severely impacts individual morale and overall team dynamics.

Understanding Workplace Harassment

By law, workplace harassment involves any behavior or actions that are unwanted and undermine your dignity by making you feel degraded, or are intimidating, hostile, humiliating, or offensive. According to Irish equality law, harassment consists of any unwanted behavior related to one or more of the specified ‘protected grounds’. These behaviors can either intentionally aim to degrade your dignity or unintentionally cause such effects. Harassment can take various forms, including spoken words, gestures, or the display or sharing of words, pictures, or other materials. It may occur as a single incident or as a repeated pattern of behavior. Importantly, harassment doesn’t need to be directed at a specific individual for them to experience it.

Challenges in Addressing Bullying & Harassment in Donegal

Impact and Legal Responsibilities:

Employers have a duty of care to ensure a safe working environment. Bullying behaviour may breach safety standards, impacting not only the individual targeted, but also the overall morale and productivity of the company.

Prevention over Detection:

At Boyd HR, we value proactive techniques over reactive responses. Our Dignity & Respect in the Workplace program describes unacceptable and undesirable actions, then encourages a culture of mutual respect and understanding.