WORKPLACE BULLYING & HARASSMENT

Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect at work. Bullying and harassment of any kind are in no-one’s interest and should not be tolerated in the workplace.
Bullying may be characterised as offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient. Bullying itself isn’t against the law, but harassment is unlawful under the Offences Against the Person(Amendment) (Harassment) Act, (2005).

Examples of bullying or harassing behaviour in the workplace could include:
spreading malicious rumours, or insulting someone by word or behaviour (particularly on the grounds of age, race, sex, disability, sexual orientation and religion or belief)
copying memos that are critical about someone to others who do not need to know
ridiculing or demeaning someone – picking on them or setting them up to fail
exclusion or victimisation
unfair treatment
overbearing supervision or other misuse of power or position
unwelcome sexual advances – touching, standing too close, the display of offensive materials, asking for sexual favours, making decisions on the basis of sexual advances being accepted or rejected
making threats or comments about job security without foundation
deliberately undermining a competent worker by overloading and constant criticism
preventing individuals progressing by intentionally blocking promotion or training opportunities.

What employees should do if they’re bullied or harassed
Employees should see if they can sort out the problem informally first. If they can’t, they should talk to their:
manager
human resources (HR) department
trade union representative
Legal action (last resort)

Extracted From:Trinidad & Tobago Legal Rights