When are stressed or anxious, we can be more uncivil to each other. Someone might not even know they are acting in this way.
Bullying can be but is not always intentional. It happens more often and with more intensity. It is deliberate and done to offend, distress and humiliate someone. Bullying might:
- be a regular pattern of behaviour or a one-off incident
- happen face-to-face, on social media, in emails or calls
- happen at work or in other work-related situations
- not always be obvious or noticed by other
- be between two individuals, or it may involve groups of people
Some incidents can be resolved informally. A lot of the time, people do not know how their behaviour is affecting other people. Once they are aware, the behaviour stops. If it can’t be resolved informally, only then should you follow the formal procedure. Read our Bullying and Harassment Policy (Dignity and Respect at Work) here.
