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Bullying and Harassment Awareness eLearning
Online bullying and harassment training for managers and staff: telling firm management from bullying, recognising harassment under the Equality Act, and handling a complaint properly.
Who it is for
Who this bullying and harassment awareness course is for
Most bullying complaints are not about obvious aggression. They are about patterns: exclusion, undermining, unreasonable criticism. That each look small in isolation. Managers need to recognise them, and to know that robust management done properly is not bullying.
- Line managers and supervisors
- HR teams handling complaints
- All staff, as part of induction or refresher training
- Team leaders and project managers
- Trade union and employee representatives
- Anyone who has received or witnessed a complaint
Course content
What the bullying and harassment awareness course covers
Five short lessons covering definitions and the law, firm management versus bullying, the effect on people and teams, handling a complaint, and prevention, then a 12-question assessment.
Bullying and harassment defined
What bullying and harassment are, harassment related to protected characteristics, and the legal position.
Patterns, and firm management versus bullying
Why bullying is usually a pattern, and how to manage performance firmly without bullying.
The effect on people and teams
The harm bullying causes, its cost to teams and organisations, and the warning signs.
Handling a complaint
Informal and formal routes, investigating fairly, confidentiality, and protecting against victimisation.
Prevention
Setting and modelling standards, challenging behaviour, and protecting staff from third-party harassment.
Outcomes
What you will be able to do afterwards
- Define bullying and harassment, and when harassment is unlawful
- Tell firm management apart from bullying, and spot patterns
- Recognise the effect on people and teams, and the warning signs
- Handle a complaint fairly and protect against victimisation
- Prevent bullying and harassment, including by third parties
Your legal duty
The law behind bullying and harassment awareness training
There is no free-standing law against bullying at work. Harassment, however, is defined in the Equality Act 2010 where it relates to a protected characteristic: unwanted conduct that violates dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.
That distinction matters practically. A bullying complaint is generally handled through internal policy and can raise constructive dismissal risk; a harassment complaint related to a protected characteristic engages discrimination law directly. HSE is not the primary authority for either - Acas is the usual reference point.
- Equality Act 2010 - harassment related to a protected characteristic
- No free-standing statutory offence of workplace bullying
- Victimisation protections apply after a complaint is raised
- HSE is not the primary authority; Acas is the usual reference point
Practicalities
How the course works
Would you rather have a tutor?
Protected characteristics and discrimination are covered more fully there.
For employers
Bullying and Harassment Awareness training for a team
Complaints are handled inconsistently when only HR has been trained. Managers are where most complaints land first.
- One invoice instead of a card payment per person
- Licences allocated as people join, so induction is covered
- Completion and expiry reporting for your records
- Renewal reminders before certificates lapse
- Bespoke versions built around your own procedures
Bullying and Harassment Awareness eLearning: common questions
There is no free-standing law against bullying at work. Harassment related to a protected characteristic is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010, and bullying can give rise to other claims. That's why the distinction matters.
No, and the course is clear about it. Setting standards, managing performance and giving critical feedback are legitimate. It becomes bullying through how it is done and whether it forms a pattern.
Listen, take it seriously, keep it confidential as far as possible and follow your policy. The course covers what not to do, which is usually where things go wrong.
Treating someone badly because they raised a complaint or supported someone else's. It is unlawful under the Equality Act and it is where organisations often compound an original problem.
Aggression from the public is covered by the Conflict Management course. This one is about behaviour within the workplace.
About 30 to 45 minutes, with no time limit: start it, pause it, and come back whenever suits. The certificate is issued as soon as you pass the end assessment.
Yes. It runs in a browser on any modern phone, tablet or computer, with nothing to install.
Yes. Open a business account and we invoice you for the licences, which you allocate as people need them, with completion reporting included.
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