Bullying and Harassment 

What bullying is

Although there is no legal definition of bullying, it can be described as unwanted behaviour from a person or group that is either:

• offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting; or
• an abuse or misuse of power that undermines, humiliates, or causes physical or emotional harm to someone.

Recognising bullying

Bullying in a political party or political setting might:

• be a regular pattern of behaviour or a one-off incident;
• happen in many different political settings including during campaigning, in committee meetings at all levels of the Party and in meetings of other political bodies;
• happen face-to-face, on social media, on chat groups such as WhatsApp, in emails, or on phone and video calls;
• happen at work or in other work-related situations ; or
• not always be obvious or noticed by other people.

It is possible someone might not know their behaviour is bullying. It can still be bullying even if they do not realise it or do not intend to bully someone.

Examples of bullying

Examples of bullying could include:

• constantly criticising someone's work as a volunteer or as a member of Party staff;
• spreading malicious rumours about someone;
• intimidating colleagues by frequently devaluing other peoples’ opinions in meetings;
• constantly putting someone down in meetings;
• deliberately giving someone a heavier workload than everyone else;
• constantly giving someone tasks that they that they are not qualified for;
• excluding someone from team social events; or
• putting humiliating, offensive or threatening comments or photos on social media.

Upward bullying

Bullying can also happen towards someone in a more senior role in a political body or organisation. For example, a Parliamentary Candidate, an Elected Member of a public body, an Elected Officer of any Party body, or a member of Party Staff.

This is sometimes called 'upward bullying' or 'subordinate bullying'.

It can initially be difficult for someone in a senior role to realise they're experiencing bullying behaviour.

Bullying of this nature may be carried out by one person or a group of people.

Examples of upward bullying can include:

• showing continued disrespect;
• repeated personal comments about an individual;
• refusing to complete tasks allotted to them by the senior person;
• spreading unfounded rumours;
• making unfounded accusations which are then only retracted in private;
• making unfounded or vexatious complaints to the Party, undermining the authority of the more senior person;
• constantly undermining someone's authority;
• making unrealistic demands that are beyond the remit of the person in authority;
• doing things to make someone seem unskilled or unable to do their job properly; or
• constantly taking credit for the actions of a more senior Party member or member of Party staff.

What harassment is

The Party adopts the legal definitions of harassment as set out below in both the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and the Equality Act 2010.

1. Section 8, Protection from Harassment Act 1997
   Every individual has a right to be free from harassment and, accordingly, a person must not pursue a course of conduct which amounts to harassment of another and;
   (a) is intended to amount to harassment of that person; or
   (b) occurs in circumstances where it would appear to a reasonable person that it would amount to harassment of that person.

Note:

For these purposes:
“conduct” includes speech and posts on social media;
“harassment” of a person includes causing the person alarm or distress; and
a course of conduct must normally involve conduct on at least two occasions."

Section 26 of the Equality Act 2010.

Harassment is defined in this act as engaging in unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, and that the conduct has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.

By law (Equality Act 2010), bullying behaviour can be harassment if it relates to any of the following 'protected characteristics':

• age
• disabilty
• gender reassignment
• race
• religion or belief
• sex
• sexual orientation

Recognising harassment

In the UK, the terms ‘bullying’ and ‘harassment’ are often confused. In addition, the terms ‘harassment’, ‘intimidation’ and ‘abuse’ are often used interchangeably as the experience for victims can overlap.

The main goal of some harassment may be to persuade victims either not to do something that they are entitled or required to do. Or to persuade them to do something that they are not obliged to do.

On other occasions, harassment has no clear or obvious goal.

Such actions amount to harassment when they occur more than once. 

Actions listed under the Protection from Harassment Act include, but are not limited to:

• phone calls
• letters
• emails
• visits
• stalking
• verbal abuse of any kind, including on social media
• threats
• coercion or intimidation
• damage to property
• bodily harm