Workplace Bullying

4 How to report bullying

If an employee believes they are experiencing or witnessing bullying, the first priority is to seek support listed in Chapter 6 Support and assistance.

The following steps provide a guide for employees on reporting bullying:

• The employee can discuss and/or report the behaviour to the principal or their delegate. If the behaviour relates to the principal or their delegate, the employee can raise the matter with their HSR. When raising the matter, it is often useful to communicate directly about their experience. The employee can also report it through eduSafe Plus (staff login required).
• With the principal’s or delegate’s support, the employee may wish to use informal avenues to discuss and resolve the issues. For instance, they may wish to speak about the behaviour with the person directly, with support the principal or their delegate and/or HSR.
• The employee may also wish to lodge a formal complaint of bullying. Lodging a complaint will mean that their allegations are properly considered, with an outcome provided to the employee. Based on the allegations, the principal or their delegate will run a process to examine the allegations and allow the person to respond to your allegations. The employee’s complaint should contain specific allegations of behaviour that the employee believe is bullying. It is always best to lodge the complaint in writing.
• The employee can also report bullying anonymously, although this will limit the principal’s ability to examine the allegations and take action.