In early October, Hollywood was rocked by accusations of sexual harassment and bullying when the New York Times published an article detailing decades of allegations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Since then, the story has snowballed and the floodgates are open with many women – and men - reporting widespread and historical harassment and bullying via the hashtag #metoo. The spotlight is now on Westminster with disturbing allegations about a culture of bullying and sexual harassment showing no signs of slowing down.
What is bullying and harassment?
According to Gov.uk, bullying and harassment is behaviour that makes someone feel intimidated or offended. It’s often not obvious to others working in the same organisation – or even the same department - and commonly happens without an employer's awareness, making it a minefield for HR. Harassment is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010.
From banter to bullying
In many workplaces ‘banter’ - the playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks - is a core part of the culture. Having fun in the workplace is something that is highly valued by many employees. A survey conducted by TINYpulse showed the number one reason cited for loving a job was co-workers and the camaraderie and bonhomie generated by having a laugh and joke with the team. And indeed, having fun at work through jokes, playful teasing and storytelling is proven to have substantial effects on workplace productivity. But sometimes what some people regard as “just banter” is not considered so funny by others.
The problem with “banter” is that it can be used as an excuse to say something unpleasant whilst absolving blame. The recipient can be left feeling that they are being too sensitive because they fail to see the humour in the banter.
There are some tell-tale signs that banter has crossed the fine line into bullying:
• The banter is ‘one sided’
• Negative behaviour is targeted at one individual
• The jokes are personal
With context, relationship and intention all impacting on the interpretation of behaviour, it’s more important than ever for HR professionals to know how to determine banter from bullying and how to deter and manage such situations to avoid their organisation facing disputes, low staff morale or, at worst, a tribunal.