Why a real policy matters
An anti-bullying policy does three jobs. It tells staff what behaviour is unacceptable, it tells them what will happen if they report it, and it protects the organisation by showing you took reasonable steps. Employers who cannot show those steps are far more exposed when a complaint turns into a grievance or a claim.
The benchmark for handling complaints fairly
Acas
Since October 2024, employers must take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment
Equality Act 2010
Health and safety law requires a safe workplace, which includes psychological safety
HSE
What a good policy includes
- A plain definition of bullying and harassment, with real examples, not legal wording alone.
- A clear statement that the behaviour is unacceptable from anyone, including managers and senior staff.
- Both informal and formal routes for raising a concern, and who to go to at each step.
- A named alternative contact when the concern is about the person who would normally receive it.
- What the person raising it can expect: confidentiality as far as possible, no retaliation, and timescales.
- What happens after an investigation, including possible outcomes and the right to appeal.
- A commitment to review the policy and to act on what complaints reveal about the culture.
A template you can adapt
Adapt the wording below to your organisation. Keep it short enough that people will actually read it.
1. Our commitment. Everyone here has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Bullying and harassment are unacceptable, whoever they come from, and will be dealt with seriously.
2. What we mean. Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, or an abuse of power, that undermines or humiliates someone. Harassment is unwanted conduct related to age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, or another protected characteristic. Both can happen in person, in writing, or online.
3. Raising a concern. If you experience or witness bullying or harassment, you can speak to your manager, to [named contact], or to HR. If the concern is about your manager, you can go directly to [alternative contact]. You will not be punished for raising a genuine concern.
4. What happens next. We will listen, agree with you whether an informal or formal approach is right, and keep you informed. Formal complaints are investigated impartially and you will receive a written outcome with the right to appeal.
5. False or malicious complaints. Concerns raised in good faith will never be treated as misconduct, even if not upheld. Deliberately false complaints may be.
6. Review. We review this policy every year and act on what we learn.
Investigating a complaint fairly
The essentials of a fair investigation
- Act promptly. Delays read as indifference and let evidence go stale.
- Appoint someone impartial, with no prior involvement, and enough seniority to be taken seriously.
- Speak to the person raising the concern first, then the person complained about, then witnesses, keeping each account confidential as far as possible.
- Record everything in writing: interviews, evidence, findings and the reasoning behind the outcome.
- Decide on the balance of probabilities, not beyond reasonable doubt. Was the behaviour more likely than not to have happened?
- Communicate the outcome in writing to both parties, with a clear route to appeal.
- Close the loop. Check in afterwards with the person who raised it, and act on anything the investigation reveals about the wider team.
Prefer to read this offline? Get The HeartBrain Workplace Bullying Handbook emailed to you free.
Common questions
Is an anti-bullying policy a legal requirement in the UK?
There is no law that names an anti-bullying policy specifically, but employers have duties under health and safety law and the Equality Act 2010 that are very hard to meet without one, and tribunals expect to see one.
Should bullying and harassment be in the same policy?
They can be, as in the template above, or separated. Many organisations combine them with a dignity at work statement. What matters is that both are defined clearly and staff know the reporting routes.
How often should the policy be reviewed?
At least annually, and whenever a complaint reveals a gap. A policy that was never updated after being tested is a red flag in itself.
Who should investigate a complaint about a senior leader?
Someone demonstrably independent of them: a more senior director, a board member, an HR consultant, or an external investigator. Nothing destroys trust in a policy faster than a leader's colleague clearing them.
HeartBrain
A community for people being bullied at work
HeartBrain is a free, anonymous community and resource library for anyone affected by workplace bullying and harassment, plus a culture questionnaire for organisations serious about fixing it. We are opening soon.
If you are struggling right now, you do not have to wait for us. In the UK, Samaritans are free on 116 123, day or night. Acas offer free workplace advice on 0300 123 1100.
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