Anti-Harassment and Bullying Policy

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. Examples of bullying and intimidation might be: i. physical conduct ranging from the invasion of personal space to serious assault; ii. iii. iv. verbal, written and email harassment through derogatory remarks, jokes, insults, offensive language, gossip and slander; open aggression, threats and/or shouting; deliberately setting objectives with unreasonable deadlines or changing objectives unfairly; v. intrusion by pestering, spying, following, stalking etc; vi. vii. viii. ix. unfair allocation of work and responsibilities; behaviour which makes direct or indirect reference to disability or impairment and this causes discomfort, patronises, insults or offends people with a physical, sensory or mental disability; treating someone adversely because they have or it is suspected/believed that they have HIV/AIDS; repeated gibes in reference to personal traits or appearances, invasion of privacy, or practical jokes causing physical or psychological distress; x. persistent pressure to become involved in anti-social or unlawful behaviour; xi. repeated statements to an individual or third parties which demean an individual’s professional status and performance. 4. Dealing with Harassment and Bullying a. Anyone experiencing harassment should not wait until things become intolerable. Sometimes the person may not realise that his or her behaviour is unwanted or unacceptable and in such cases the misunderstandings can be resolved quickly. b. It is helpful to make a note of the time, place and nature of any specific incidents and attempts to discuss them. This will provide useful information in following these procedures. 5. Informal Procedure a. If possible, the individual experiencing harassment should state clearly to the person concerned that his or her behaviour is unacceptable and should cease. In some circumstances the individual might prefer to write a letter to the person concerned which should be dated and signed, and a copy kept as this may be needed as evidence should the harassment, victimisation or bullying continue or subsequently recur. b. If the individual does not feel able to talk or write to the person concerned or if the harassment does not stop, they may wish to discuss the matter with a colleague or with their supervisor or manager and ask them to approach the person concerned on their behalf. 6. Formal Procedure a. At any time, whether or not informal steps have been taken, an employee who feels that he or she or others have been harassed in a way that breaches this policy can raise the matter with their supervisor or manager, either verbally or in writing, who will deal with it accordingly. Thereafter, the matter will be dealt with as follows: i. The appropriate manager will conduct an investigation into the case as soon as possible to establish whether there is a need to take disciplinary action. The manager will inform the person against whom the complaint is made of the nature Society Ltd & Society US Inc – Staff Handbook (Last updated on Wednesday, 23 September 2020) Page 16
ii. iii. iv. of the complaint and that the matter is being investigated formally. The appropriate manager will arrange a meeting with the employee who has made the complaint, usually within one week, so that he/she can explain the reasons for the complaint. The employee has the right to be accompanied by a colleague or trade union representative of his/her choice, who must respect the confidentiality of the investigation. It may be necessary to interview witnesses to any of the incidents mentioned in the complaint. If so, the importance of confidentiality will be emphasised to them. If it is found that harassment or bullying has occurred, prompt action will be taken to address it. Where the harasser or bully is an employee, the matter will be dealt with as a case of possible misconduct/gross misconduct under the company’s Disciplinary Procedure. Where the harasser or bully is a third party, appropriate action will be taken. v. If the complaint is not upheld, the manager will determine appropriate methods of resolving the issue following discussion with both parties. vi. vii. viii. ix. Both parties will be informed of the decision as soon as possible following the conclusion of the investigation. The employee who has made the complaint may not be provided with details of any disciplinary action taken against the individual concerned, as this is confidential between the company and individual employees. Malicious allegations will be regarded as disciplinary offences. If the employee is not satisfied with the outcome of the investigation, he/she has the right to appeal the decision within one week of being notified of the outcome. Written grounds of appeal should be submitted to the Directors, who may nominate another manager to hear the appeal. Where practicable, this will be a manager senior to the manager who originally considered the complaint. x. The person hearing the appeal will meet the employee to discuss his/her appeal, usually within one week. The employee may be accompanied by a colleague or trade union official of his/her choice. The company will endeavour to notify the employee of the outcome of the appeal within one week of the meeting. xi. This is the final stage of the formal procedure and there is no further right of appeal. 7. Confidentiality a. All complaints will be treated with due regard for confidentiality. b. Information about a complaint by or about an employee may be placed on his/her HR file, along with a record of the outcome and any notes or other documents compiled during the process. c. Breach of confidentiality may give rise to disciplinary action under the Disciplinary Procedure. 8. Protection for those Making Complaints or Assisting with an Investigation a. If an employee makes a complaint, or participates in good faith in any investigation conducted under this policy, he/she will be protected from any form of intimidation or victimisation as a result of his/her involvement. b. If an employee consider that he/she has been subjected to any such intimidation or victimisation, he/she should seek support from the Managing Director. He/she may also raise a complaint in writing under this procedure or the Grievance Procedure. Society Ltd & Society US Inc – Staff Handbook (Last updated on Wednesday, 23 September 2020) Page 17
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Anti-Harassment and Bullying Policy

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