Third party harassment and abuse policy

This policy applies to all Council and school employees, including agency and casual staff.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to any incident involving harassment or abuse against employees. No one is expected to tolerate abuse, and everyone is encouraged to report incidents immediately through the appropriate channels.

Where abuse or harassment happens outside the workplace, the Council or school will ensure relevant reporting takes place and employees are fully supported.

We have a legal duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974). We will take the strongest possible action to tackle incidents and protect staff.

What zero tolerance means

Any incident of harassment or abuse towards employees is unacceptable. All reports will be treated seriously and investigated. We will display statements about our zero-tolerance policy in Council and school premises and make them widely available.

We work with other agencies to raise awareness and ensure employees know how to report concerns and access support.

Third-party abuse can have a severe impact on employees, causing anxiety, fear and loss of confidence. This can lead to physical or mental health problems and, in some cases, staff leaving their role. We are committed to preventing this and supporting employees fully.

Our commitment

We will ensure the safety and welfare of staff by:

• reducing the risk of harassment or abuse
• assessing risks and putting controls in place
• making sure managers act to prevent incidents
• taking action against perpetrators
• providing training and information
• applying management standards consistently
• supporting employees after incidents
• maintaining robust reporting systems
• involving employees in decisions about protective actions
• making sure employees feel able to report incidents and have them treated seriously

Third-party harassment or abuse

Third-party harassment or abuse means unwanted behaviour from someone who is not employed by the Council or school, such as service users, contractors or members of the public.

Examples include:

• verbal or physical abuse
• racial slurs
• sexual advances
• threats or violence
• intimidation or discrimination
• bullying or harassment
• aggressive behaviour, foul language
• imagery or graffiti
• jokes or banter
• acts affecting a person’s surroundings
• damage to property

Work-related violence includes any incident where a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work. This can include verbal abuse or threats as well as physical attacks.

Abuse or harassment can happen face-to-face, online (including social media), in writing or over the phone. Entrapment also falls under this policy. This list is not exhaustive.

If the harassment involves another employee, refer to the Report bullying and harassment: step by step.

For managing unreasonable behaviour from customers, see the Unreasonable Customer Policy.