1. Introduction & Scope
[NGB Name] does not tolerate any form of bullying, harassment, victimisation, or discrimination by or against its employees, volunteers, or members. This policy applies to all staff and volunteers in any situation, including electronic media and settings outside the immediate working environment. The impact of the behaviour is the determinant of whether an incident has occurred, regardless of the perpetrator's intent.
2. Core Definitions
- Bullying: Offensive, intimidating, or insulting behaviour intended to undermine, humiliate, or injure a person. It is rarely an isolated instance.
- Harassment: Unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic (age, disability, sex, race, religion, etc.) that violates dignity or creates a hostile environment.
- Victimisation: Treating someone less favourably because they made or supported a complaint in good faith.
- Discrimination: Unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people. This includes direct, indirect, perception-based, or association-based discrimination.
3. Raising and Managing Complaints
Any complaint will be dealt with seriously, promptly, and confidentially.
- Investigation: An appropriate officer will acknowledge the complaint and conduct a full, fair investigation. Both the complainant and the alleged perpetrator will be interviewed.
- Outcomes:
- Not Validated: Inconclusive evidence may lead to mediation, counselling, or monitoring.
- Validated (Informal): May involve warnings or workplace adjustments.
- Validated (Formal): Sufficient evidence will trigger disciplinary procedures, which may result in dismissal for gross misconduct.
- Third Parties: [NGB Name] reserves the right to withdraw services or contracts from third parties found to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour.
4. Responsibilities
- All Staff/Volunteers: Must ensure their behaviour does not cause offence and complies with this policy.
- Managers/Senior Officers: Must promote awareness, support complainants, and take action on incidents they become aware of. Failure to act on a reported complaint is a breach of responsibility and may lead to disciplinary action.
5. Summary of Process
- Informal: If possible, speak or write to the person to ask them to stop.
- Formal: If unresolved, raise the matter with a manager for formal investigation and potential disciplinary action.
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