In the modern and dynamic professional environment, ensuring fair treatment and justice at the workplace is paramount. At Anthony Gold Solicitors, we firmly believe that everyone deserves to work in an environment that is free from bullying, harassment, and discrimination. Our dedicated Employment team is committed to fighting for those rights and guiding individuals through these intricate and personal matters.

Bullying

Bullying in the workplace can take shape in multiple ways and can be described best as “unwanted behaviour” from a person or a group that causes physical or emotional harm to someone. It does not need to be a continuous pattern of behaviour, but can, in fact, be described as a one-off event.

Both bullying and harassment in the workplace could happen either face to face or over emails and other forms of communication. If you believe you may be a victim of bullying at work, the first port of call will always be trying to resolve the issues internally with a manager or HR, and then raise a formal grievance if the behaviour is still ongoing.

Discrimination

The Equality Act 2010 in the UK prohibits discrimination by or on behalf of an employer. Protection from discrimination is a day-one right, which means that a person cannot be discriminated against at any stage, be it the interview process, their induction or even after their employment had ended.

Discrimination under the Equality Act specifically relates to the unfavourable or unequal treatment of employees or prospective job applicants based on certain “protected characteristics.” Examples of such protected characteristics may include, but are not limited to:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender Reassignment
• Ethnicity/race
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Religion or Belief
• Marriage and Civil Partnership.

There are various steps you can take, such as an internal grievance, in order to bring this behaviour to your employer’s attention. As above, we would always recommend that the internal routes are exhausted initially, where possible.

It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that discrimination at work is prevented, by doing all they reasonably could to avoid discrimination. As such, the employer has a duty of care to avoid such circumstances and at the very least resolve matters promptly. If not handled correctly, employees can also bring action against their employers for discrimination in the Employment Tribunals.

Harassment

Harassment under the Equality Act is classed as a form of discrimination and must be related directly to one of the “protected characteristics” (See discrimination above).

For bullying at work to be classed as harassment, any unwanted behaviour has to have either created an intimidating and hostile environment and/or affected the employee’s dignity.

For harassment that is not related to a protected characteristic, an employee may have a claim under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

Your employer should have a policy in place to demonstrate how bullying in the workplace should be handled. However, even if there is no policy, your employer will have a legal duty of care to protect you whilst you are at work and so reasonable steps must still be taken.

If the bullying or harassment is so severe that you feel you have no option but to leave, including if your employer does not handle your grievance/concerns appropriately, then you may have a claim for constructive unfair dismissal. However, this is not a step to take lightly and you should definitely consider taking formal legal advice beforehand.

Our skilled team is just a phone call or email away, ready to offer guidance, support, and representation tailored to your unique circumstances. You can rest assured that you are not alone in your pursuit of justice. Contact us today by calling at 020 7940 3907 or emailing us at emp@anthonygold.co.uk to discuss your case and allow us to be your voice in the fight against workplace bullying, harassment, and discrimination. Your dignity, your rights, your fight – we’re here for you.