If you are accused of bullying or harassment
All allegations of bullying or harassment are investigated appropriately, treating all parties with dignity and respect, providing support where needed.
On the Resolutions page, in the formal grievance how to guides, you can find a guide explaining what will happen when a grievance has been raised against you.
If you’ve been accused of bullying or harassment and our investigation finds there is a case to answer, appropriate and proportionate action will be taken based on the nature and severity of the conduct. Possible actions may include:
- informal measures, such as providing learning and development opportunities, or facilitating conversations to support understanding and resolution
- formal disciplinary action, where outcomes could range from a written warning to dismissal in cases of serious misconduct or repeated incidents
- consideration of aggravating factors, such as abuse of power over a junior colleague, which may influence the severity of the action taken
More details about our disciplinary process are available on the Disciplinary page.
If you’ve been accused of bullying or harassment and we find this is untrue:
- no record of the grievance will be held against your name
- the matter will remain confidential
- no further action will be taken against you
- no record of the incident will be held on your personnel file
Support available
If you have been accused bullying or harassment, or are supporting your colleague and need someone to talk to, you can:
- speak to an independent and confidential as part of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which is available 24 hours a day
- speak to a member of the People Support team by sending a message on the Assyst portal, emailing people.support@essex.gov.uk, or calling 033301 35888
- contact your trade union for advice, if you are a member
- speak to a mental health first aider
- contact the ACAS helpline for confidential, free employment law or workplace advice
- contact the Equality Advisory & Support Service for advice and assistance on issues relating to equality and human rights