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Preventing all forms of bullying, harassment and mistreatment in the workplace should be an ongoing priority for any organisation that prides itself on creating a modern, supportive and inclusive culture. However, despite the best efforts of many HR professionals, it remains a perennial issue that can have a devastating impact on its victims and brings into question the value of compliance policies that should be there to protect people. The problem is borderline ubiquitous, with a 2019 survey from Monster.com saying that around 90 per cent of respondents have “directly experienced” workplace bullying. The challenge of monitoring harassment has also taken on a new dimension over the past 12 months, with remote working adding a new dynamic to communication and culture. Indeed, the problem can be just as bad – and often worse – for people working remotely, and as a recent BBC article put it, “toxic workplace cultures follow you home”. While organisations should have structured programs in place to address all forms of harassment at work, many don’t fully reflect the realities and scenarios at play in the contemporary workforce. It’s not uncommon, for example, for some employees to become complacent and less formal when they conduct business
