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ARTICLE · 29 OCTOBER 2026

Bullying And Harassment

Lewis Silkin
Lewis Silkin
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Lewis Silkin

Lewis Silkin

Joint managing partners: Jo Farmer, Richard Miskella International offices: Dublin, Hong Kong...

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Workplace bullying and harassment pose significant legal and operational risks for employers, from decreased productivity to costly litigation. Understanding the legal definitions, potential claims, and effective prevention strategies is essential for creating a respectful work environment while minimizing liability exposure.

United KingdomEmployment and HR
Carolyn Soakell
Carolyn Soakell
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Dignity at work is an increasingly important issue for employers. Taking action to prevent bullying and harassment at work can be crucial in avoiding stress and absenteeism, low staff morale, high turnover and decreased productivity. Workplace harassment and bullying can also expose employers to a variety of different types of damaging legal action.

This Inbrief summarises the legal background and examines how employers can develop effective policies which will reduce legal exposure and create a healthy, respectful and supportive working environment for their staff.

Defining bullying and harassment

There are several definitions of bullying and harassment, and many employers adopt their own formulation in a “dignity at work” policy. Generally speaking, the common theme is an acknowledgement that when a worker is bullied or harassed, something has happened to them which is unwelcome, usually unwarranted and has a detrimental effect on them.

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The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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