If you receive a bullying complaint in your business you need to act on it straight away and move with urgency.
Bullying in your business is a workplace hazard and a serious health and safety breach. Your duty as an employer is to provide a safe working environment.
Check your policy and your guidelines on your process. It is important that you follow your documented process. If you feel you need guidance and support through the process, then I encourage you to have someone in your business with you, your HR person, an outsourced HR company like Hello Monday, or your employment lawyer.
It is critical that you follow the process and the steps to make the right decision. Ensure that you collect all the relevant facts and information as part of your investigation, including the events, times, dates, and any witnesses and statements.
Bullying can include physical harm, verbal abuse (subtle or overt), cyber, or text. This can be over a period of time or one instance.
We have assisted and helped our clients over the years with bullying complaints as it can be quite a sensitive area to investigate but it is important that you get the process right.