Harassment

Harassment related to what is known as a "protected characteristic", such as your race or age - as well as sexual harassment - is prohibited in the workplace. You should be able to work free from harassment and your employer should take steps to prevent it from occurring.

If you are subject to unwanted conduct that offends, intimidates or humiliates you, and makes your life difficult at work, this may be harassment. Examples of harassment could be offensive jokes or emails at your expense. Your employer may also be responsible for the conduct towards you by colleagues and that of third parties you may come in to contact with through employment, such as customers.

It is important to remember that behaviour may amount to harassment even if the conduct was not intended to humiliate or cause offence to you.  Harassment need not be obvious or face-to-face, and could even be considered to be "normal" behaviour in a workplace, even though you find it offensive.  If you think you have suffered harassment at work, we can advise you on how to resolve the situation.

It is important for your employer to deal with harassment seriously. Your employer should not trivialise conduct that you have concerns about. We can advise you on raising a grievance to complain about the harassment or, if required, on making a claim to the Employment Tribunal.

Your employer owes you a duty of care; if because of harassment you feel that mutual trust and confidence between you and your employer has broken down, you may be able to make a claim for constructive dismissal - we can also advise you if this is the case.