ARTICLE · 20 APRIL 2011

Criminalisation of workplace bullying

DLA Piper Australia

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The Victorian Government recently introduced the Crime Amendment (Bullying) Bill 2011 into State Parliament, which will provide a maximum jail term of ten years for perpetrators found guilty of workplace bullying.

AustraliaEmployment and HR

Kirsty Galbraith

The Victorian Government recently introduced the Crime Amendment (Bullying) Bill 2011 into State Parliament, which will provide a maximum jail term of ten years for perpetrators found guilty of workplace bullying.

The amendment is commonly being referred to as 'Brodie's Law' after the 2006 death of Brodie Panlock. She committed suicide at age 19 after being victimised by colleagues at a café in Melbourne. We reported on the case in our Winter Edition 2010 of The Workplace. The Bill will amend the existing offence of stalking to cover the types of conduct and behaviour that is often described as workplace bullying.

What will change?

While certain behaviours typical of being described as workplace bullying may fall within the current definition of stalking, the Bill expands the definition of what is considered stalking to include:

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