Dignity and Mutual Respect
Our policy on dignity and mutual respect ("the
The University believes that every member of staff has the right to work in a supportive environment, free from harassment, bullying and victimisation. Similarly, every student at the University has the right to study and be taught in an environment that is supportive and free from such behaviours.
The definitions we use in the policy are:
- Bullying: “offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour which intentionally or unintentionally undermines, humiliates, denigrates or injures the recipient”
- Harassment: “unwanted conduct that has the purpose or effect of either violating another person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that person”
- Victimisation: “…involves treating someone less favourably than other people because that individual has either made, in good faith, a claim of harassment or bullying under this Policy, (or a claim of discrimination under another Policy, such as the University’s Equal Opportunities Policy), suggested or complained that, in some other way, he/she has, or may have been, discriminated against, bullied or harassed or that the University’s equal opportunities policies have, or may have, been breached in some way or helped some other person who is making such a claim, perhaps by providing evidence or some other form of support to that other person”
The policy means that you must treat colleagues with courtesy and respect, and not participate in, or condone, any act of harassment, bullying or victimisation. Disciplinary action may be taken if you are involved in these types of behaviour. Section 3 of the policy explains what kind of behaviour we expect from our staff.
If you feel that you are being harassed, bullied or victimised, or witness such behaviour, you should talk to your manager and/or your Faculty/Service HR team.
The following pages will take you through the relevant process to try to resolve the issue:
- If you're a member of staff and you believe you're being bullied, harassed or victimised by another member of
staff, or witness to this behaviour, click here.
- If you're a member of staff and you think you're being bullied, harassed or victimised by a
student, or witness to this behaviour, click here.
- If you're a student and you feel that you're being bullied, harassed or victimised by either a member of staff or another student, click here.