Bullying and harassment

Information for employers and workers about managing the risk of bullying and harassment in the workplace.

For information specific to sexual harassment visit our sexual harassment hazard page.

How bullying and harassment can be harmful

What is bullying and harassment?

Workplace bullying is repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or a group of workers. This behaviour can create a risk to health and safety.

Some examples of workplace bullying include:

  • abusive or offensive language or comments
  • aggressive and intimidating behaviour
  • belittling or humiliating comments
  • practical jokes or initiation
  • unjustified criticism or complaints
  • deliberately excluding someone from workplace activities
  • withholding information that is needed for work.

Harassment is unwanted behaviour that could offend, humiliate, or intimidate a person. It can occur from single or repeated incidents. Harassment can be from co-workers, clients, patients, visitors or others. It can relate to a person’s race, religion, gender, age or disability. Harassment of any type can be harmful.

Bullying and harassment can occur anywhere in the workplace including:

  • at a worker’s usual place of work
  • in a place where a worker is working remotely, including working from home or a client’s home
  • where a worker is engaging in work related activities such as conferences, work trips or work-related social events including Christmas parties
  • at worker accommodation such as fly in, fly-out sites
  • by phone, email or online such as social media platforms.

Bullying and harassment may come from other workers of the business or undertaking including managers, supervisors or colleagues.

It may also come from another person conducting a business of undertaking (PCBU) or their workers who share premises or work on the same tasks.

Risks related to bullying and harassment

Bullying and harassment are harmful workplace behaviours that can affect the physical and psychological health of the person it is directed at or anyone witnessing the behaviour. It can occur in any workplace and can lead to:

  • emotional and cognitive reactions such as a loss of confidence, anger, tearfulness and irritability
  • behavioural changes such as withdrawal
  • stress, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder which can lead to self-harm and suicidal thoughts
  • physical reactions such as headaches, indigestion, fatigue and loss of appetite
  • stress related illness such as cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders and gastrointestinal disorders.

It can also have social and economic costs for the workers, their family and the business.

How to manage the risks

Employers/PCBUs

Under work, health and safety (WHS) laws, a PCBU must take proactive steps to prevent bullying and harassment.

It’s important PCBUs respond quickly to reports of bullying and harassment. The longer the behaviours continue, the more difficult it is to address and the harder it becomes to repair working relationships.

PCBUs must:

  • Eliminate health and safety risks at work, including psychosocial risks. If PCBUs are unable to eliminate risks, they must be minimised so far as is reasonably practicable.
  • Address harmful workplace behaviours, including bullying and harassment as WHS risks. It’s useful to consider other psychosocial hazards in the workplace which may contribute to workplace bullying. For example, situations where job demands are high or where there is conflict in roles, can lead to harmful behaviour.
  • Manage risks associated with bullying and harassment and consider applying the risk management process (PDF, 556.72 KB) to assist in meeting their duties. This process involves consulting with workers to identify, manage, control, and review risks related to the hazard.
  • Identify and adopt effective control measures. Find information about how to do this on our psychosocial hazards page.

Bullying and harassment are identified as a hazard in the Managing psychosocial hazards at work code of practice. This guidance will help you meet your responsibilities under WHS laws in NSW.

For information specific to sexual harassment visit our sexual harassment hazard page.

PCBUs can also consider Safe Work Australia’s Guide for preventing and responding to workplace bullying. It outlines what workplace bullying is, and how to prevent, respond to and investigate it.

Workers

While at work, workers must:

  • take reasonable care for their own psychological and physical health and safety
  • take reasonable care not to adversely affect the health and safety of other persons
  • comply with reasonable health and safety instructions, as far as they are reasonably able
  • cooperate with reasonable health and safety policies or procedures such as reporting harmful workplace behaviours.

Dealing with workplace bullying – a worker's guide helps you know if bullying is occurring and how it may be resolved. It's a useful guide if you believe you are experiencing or witnessing workplace bullying or if you have had a bullying report made against you.

If you have raised concerns about harmful workplace behaviour internally and no action is being taken, read our ‘Dealing with a psychological health and safety issue at work’ section for further assistance.

Examples of controls and actions

PCBUs must use the hierarchy of controls (PDF, 46.87 KB) and consider all relevant matters within Section 55D of the WHS Regulation 2025 when identifying appropriate control measures to eliminate and minimise the risk of bullying and harassment.

When choosing control measures you must consider all hazards present and how they may interact and combine.

Some examples of controls that can help minimise harm:

  • Zero tolerance approach to bullying in the workplace and remove repeat offenders.
  • Design work to minimise psychosocial hazards that increase the risk of bullying and harassment in the workplace. For example, restructuring teams or workflows to reduce conflict or redesign reporting lines to reduce power imbalances.
  • Workplace layout provides good visibility of work areas and promotes positive workplace behaviour.
  • Systems are developed to assist workers who work remotely, for example, building an inclusive team with transparent communication channels through regular check ins and team meetings.
  • Design systems that address reports of bullying and harassment in a way that does not create new hazards, for example, ensure workers and responders are provided with adequate support through bullying investigation processes to minimise the risk of poor support, manage investigative conflicts of interest to ensure procedural justice and ensure role clarity with roles and responsibilities outlined.
  • Provide information, instruction and training to all workers and managers related to workplace behaviour expectations. For example:
    • in-person and online behaviour
    • how to report harmful behaviour utilising WHS and grievance reporting pathways
    • PCBU response to reports of harmful behaviour
    • controls in place to prevent harmful behaviour, such as accessible policies and procedures.
  • PCBUs and senior leaders role model appropriate behaviours and lead by example.
  • Empower workers to refuse or suspend service if other people fail to comply with the expected standard of behaviour.

Note: These are examples only. You must consult with workers to identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Resources

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