Purpose
This policy sets out Dr Logic’s commitment to creating and maintaining a working environment where every employee is treated with dignity and respect.
Bullying and harassment of any form will not be tolerated, and all employees have the right to work in an environment free from intimidation, hostility, or offence. This policy outlines the responsibilities and procedures for dealing with bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, and third-party harassment.
Scope
This policy applies to everyone engaged by Dr Logic as an employee or contractor and anyone working on behalf of the company.
Key Points and Definitions
This policy covers:
- Behaviour that takes place in the workplace
- Conduct during work-related activities such as business trips, social events, or at client and supplier locations
- Online behaviour or incidents outside of work that affect the work environment or relationships
- Third-party harassment, including by clients, suppliers, customers, or other external stakeholders
Bullying
Bullying is defined as behaviour that is offensive, intimidating, malicious, or insulting. It is an abuse or misuse of power that undermines, humiliates, or causes harm to the person on the receiving end.
Examples include:
- Persistent, unjustified criticism or spreading malicious rumours.
- Excluding someone from team communications or activities.
- Public humiliation or ridicule.
- Abuse of power by those in senior positions, such as assigning an unreasonable workload or overbearing supervision.
- Deliberately assigning someone tasks designed to make them fail.
Bullying can be physical, verbal or non-verbal and may not always be easily recognised.
Harassment
Harassment occurs when one person engages in unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic that has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment. Protected characteristics include:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
Examples of harassment include:
- Offensive comments, jokes, or mimicry based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics.
- Displaying offensive images, symbols, or graffiti.
- Unwanted physical contact, gestures, or aggressive physical posturing.
- Spreading malicious rumours or gossip about an individual’s personal or professional life.
- Deliberate exclusion from meetings, communications, or social events.
The unwanted nature of the behaviour distinguishes harassment from friendly, consensual interactions. It is the impact on the recipient that defines the behaviour as harassment, regardless of the perpetrator’s intent.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is a specific form of harassment that involves unwanted conduct of a sexual nature. It is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010 and can occur between individuals of the same or different genders.
Examples of sexual harassment:
- Unwanted sexual advances, propositions, or invitations.
- Displaying sexually explicit materials such as images, posters, or videos in the workplace.
- Lewd comments, gestures, or innuendos.
- Intrusive questions about a person’s private or sexual life.
- Repeated and unwelcome sexual advances or physical contact, such as touching, hugging, massaging, or kissing.
- Sending or displaying sexually explicit messages, emails, or social media content.
- Spreading sexual rumours or making degrading comments about someone’s appearance.
- Offering benefits (such as promotions) in return for sexual favours or making threats for refusal.
Third-Party Harassment
Third-party harassment refers to any form of bullying, harassment, or sexual harassment of employees by individuals who are not directly employed by the Company, including clients, customers, suppliers, contractors, or members of the public.
Examples of third-party harassment include:
- A customer making sexual comments towards an employee in the workplace.
- A supplier or client making racially offensive or derogatory remarks.
- Aggressive behaviour, bullying, or threats from a visitor to the workplace.
- Repeated unwanted invitations or social advances from third parties during work-related interactions.
Dr Logic’s Commitments Regarding Sexual Harassment
Dr Logic recognises the serious impact of sexual harassment on employees and is committed to taking proactive and responsive steps to prevent and address it.
Preventative Measures
- Ensure that this policy is clearly communicated to all employees, contractors, and third parties. Sexual harassment awareness will be integrated into the onboarding materials for all new employees.
- Implement comprehensive training on sexual harassment prevention for all employees and managers. This includes understanding what constitutes sexual harassment, how to report it, and how to intervene when witnessing inappropriate behaviour.
- Encourage managers and leadership to model appropriate behaviour and hold them accountable for maintaining a safe and respectful work environment. Managers will be given specific training to help them identify and prevent sexual harassment in their teams.
- Conduct regular risk assessments of the workplace to identify areas where sexual harassment risks may be higher (e.g: isolated working environments, off-site events) and take measures to reduce those risks.
Reporting and Investigation of Sexual Harassment
- Provide employees with accessible channels for reporting sexual harassment, including the option to report anonymously.
- Ensure that all reports of sexual harassment are dealt with promptly, confidentially, and impartially. Employees who report sexual harassment will not face any form of retaliation.
- Assign neutral investigators to handle complaints. Investigations will be impartial and will aim to be resolved within a reasonable timeframe.
- Protect the confidentiality of those involved in sexual harassment investigations. Information will only be shared with those who need it to understand and address the complaint.
Support for Victims of Sexual Harassment
- Offer support services, such as counselling, to employees who experience sexual harassment. This support will be available throughout the investigation process and afterwards if needed.
- Provide workplace adjustments for victims of sexual harassment where necessary (e.g; temporary changes to reporting lines or work locations) to ensure they feel safe and supported.
- Managers will follow up with the affected employee after the resolution of the case to ensure their well-being and to monitor the continued safety of their work environment.
Disciplinary Action and Accountability
- Adopt a zero-tolerance approach and take disciplinary action against individuals who are found to have committed sexual harassment. This may include verbal or written warnings, suspension, or termination of employment, depending on the severity of the misconduct.
- Ensure that managers or leaders who fail to address or report known incidents of sexual harassment are also held accountable.
- If the behaviour is deemed criminal, the Company will cooperate fully with law enforcement.
Creating a Safe Reporting Environment
- Enforce a strict no-retaliation policy for employees who report sexual harassment. Retaliation against those who come forward will be treated as a serious disciplinary offence and may lead to dismissal.
- Encourage employees to report sexual harassment, even if they are not the direct victims. Bystanders who witness inappropriate conduct should feel empowered to report it without fear of retribution.
Preventing and Addressing Sexual Harassment by Third Parties
- Ensure that clients, customers, suppliers, and other third parties who interact with Dr Logic understand that sexual harassment of our employees will not be tolerated.
- In cases of sexual harassment by third parties, Dr Logic will take appropriate action, which may include issuing warnings, banning the individual from company premises, or terminating contracts with the offending party.
- Employees harassed by third parties will be provided with the same level of support and access to reporting channels as if the harassment were committed by an internal party.
Procedure
Experiencing any form of bullying or harassment can be extremely upsetting. Often, attempts to address the matter informally between the employees involved can add significant stress to the person being mistreated and may exacerbate the situation.
If you experience any form of bullying or harassment (or if you witness any such occurrences targeted at a colleague) please raise this immediately with your manager who will advise on next steps. If for any reason you are not comfortable raising the matter with your manager, please reach out to the HR team. If possible, keep notes of occurrences, dates, times, and locations as this can assist with any formal investigations required.
We may approach the situation informally or formally depending on the severity. Formal complaints will be managed under the grievance procedure and all possible actions will be taken to separate you from the alleged harasser or bully.
Managers and HR will conduct a full investigation into all formal allegations before coming to any conclusions. Employees found to be perpetrating any form of bullying or harassment will be subject to disciplinary action under the Company’s disciplinary procedure.
In cases of third-party harassment, appropriate actions will be taken, which may include:
- Issuing warnings to the client, customer, or supplier.
- Banning the individual(s) from company premises.
- Reporting the incident to law enforcement if the behaviour is criminal.
Any employee raising allegations found to be brought with malicious intent will also be subject to disciplinary action under the Company’s disciplinary procedure.
Support & Advice
For any queries about this policy please find a list of useful contacts below:
- Your manager
- Other managers within your team or across Dr Logic.
- The HR team
- Mental Health First Aiders – a network of trained employees with skills to support anyone experiencing mental ill health. They are available to listen and sign post appropriate support.
- The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) via YuLife