Individuals and businesses alike must take reasonable care of their colleagues and employees, as some recent convictions show.
Heavy-handed behaviour in the workplace took it on the chin recently when a union rep was fined $8,800 for swearing at and twice assaulting a site manager.
The fine was close to the maximum available under the Workplace Relations Act, according to Australian Building and Construction Commissioner John Lloyd.
The fine “should send a clear message that violent and bullying behaviour will not be tolerated in any industry,” Mr Lloyd told The Australian.
Bullies and businesses to pay
It’s not the first time that bullies have been hit in the hip pocket for their actions this year.
In February, four men responsible for the relentless bullying of a waitress – who later killed herself – were convicted and fined a total of $115,000, according to The Age.
Perhaps more pertinent to businesses is that the café where the bullying occurred, Café Vamp, was fined $220,000 and convicted of failing to take reasonable care of teenage employee Brodie Panlock.
Taking reasonable care
Every individual has the right to safe relationships, workplaces, schools and homes free from bullying. And with that right, comes the responsibility we all carry – to protect and respect the human rights of others.
Employers have a duty of care to comply with occupational health and safety legislation to promote a healthy, positive workplace where employees can achieve their full potential.
The acting executive director of WorkSafe Victoria, which issued the charges, said the sentences send a clear message to the community that workplace bullying should not be tolerated.
‘‘The offending in this case was of the most serious nature, the most serious category of offending,’’ Stan Krpan said. “The culture at this workplace was vicious and was not acceptable.’’
What to do
Observers are present at more than 85% of bullying situations and play a significant role in bullying behaviour, as their silence can be taken for tacit approval. Often they fear they’re next in line, or they don’ t have the skills to intervene. Here are some ways to step in:
- speak up. Let the bully know their behaviour is inappropriate
- let the person being bullied know they can come to you for non-judgemental support
- encourage the person to keep a record and report the bullying
- let the person know you will respect their privacy.
Follow the links to learn more about En Masse’s workplace bullying education programs and our suite of online learning modules section of our site.
