Find out if the bullying you are facing at work is illegal
While “bullying” itself isn’t a legal term in UK employment law, workers are legally protected from bullying actions in many ways.
Examples of illegal bullying workplace behaviour could include:
- Excluding you from groups, meetings, or deliberately ignoring you
- Finding fault with everything you do
- Swinging between positive and negative behaviour towards you
- Setting you up to fail by overloading you with work or not sharing key information
- Mocking you, both alone or in front of others
Ask a UK legal expert about your workplace bullying
Find out where you stand with the bullying behaviour you're dealing with at work. Talk to a UK legal expert to understand if your issue has potential legal claims, so you can make a plan to resolve it.
Bullying in UK employment law
Generally, bullying behaviour is illegal in UK workplaces for three reasons:
- If it’s discriminatory
- If it’s a reaction to you using a “protected” right
- If it represents a fundamental breach of contract
Here are the most common ways that bullying behaviour can violate UK employment law:
Harassment under the Equality Act 2010
Bullying because you were sexually harassed at work
Sexual harassment under the Equality Act 2010
Victimisation under the Equality Act 2010
Employment Rights Act 1996
Working Time Regulations 1998
Employment Rights Act 1996
Employment Rights Act 1996
Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992
Bullying because you raised an issue about the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage
National Minimum Wage Act 1998
Employment Rights Act 1996
Bullying because you asked for flexible work
Employment Rights Act 1996
Real Tribunal example of workplace bullying
In 2021, an employee who was blind in one eye was mocked by a colleague. The colleague squinted and made funny eyes with reference to her, in order to get others at work to laugh at her.
The Tribunal found that this bullying behaviour was harassment under the Equality Act because of her disability, and awarded her £11,218.20. She also succeeded in claims for both wrongful and unfair dismissal.
How to prove workplace bullying – free tool
Many people don't know that your own notes about what happened at work counts as evidence in Tribunal.
It's important to write down the "who, what, where, when" of any encounter while it's fresh in your memory - it can be essential for your case later on.
You can track workplace bullying on the Valla platform for free, using the "Timeline" tool.
How to prove workplace bullying – free tool
Many people don't know that your own notes about what happened at work counts as evidence in Tribunal.
It's important to write down the "who, what, where, when" of any encounter while it's fresh in your memory - it can be essential for your case later on.
You can track workplace bullying on the Valla platform for free, using the "Timeline" tool.
What to do about workplace bullying
You don't need to "just ignore" workplace bullying, you can do something about it. Valla's 5-step guide to dealing with workplace bullying will walk you through these steps.
Step 1:
Prove it to yourself that bullying is happening
Step 2:
Find out if the bullying is illegal
Step 3:
Build a paper trail
Step 4:
Raise the bullying as a grievance
Step 5:
Escalate the issue if necessary
"Valla was a breath of fresh air. They break everything down into easy-to-understand steps, giving me clarity and confidence."
- Jamie Blackwood, Essex
