Bullying and Discrimination in the Workplace

Bullying and discrimination place a lasting burden on individuals and teams. This training raises awareness of harmful dynamics and builds confidence for an inclusive workplace culture.

Bullying and discrimination are among the most serious stress factors in the workplace, affecting individuals, teams, and organisations alike. Harmful behaviour often goes unnoticed or remains unaddressed due to uncertainty or fear of escalation. In this training, participants learn to recognise bullying and discrimination at an early stage, assess situations appropriately, and respond effectively. The focus is on prevention, clear communication, and dealing constructively with challenging situations at work. The goal is to strengthen an inclusive workplace culture and increase confidence in handling conflict.

Workplace bullying and discrimination can greatly affect the lives of those affected by these and managers have a responsibility to prevent and end such incidents. The effects can range from psychological distress and decreased productivity from the victim to legal ramifications for the company.

Given today’s diverse workplaces, in which people from varied backgrounds work together, managers face a challenge in ensuring mutual understanding of different perspectives, needs, and experiences. Employees’ attitudes towards the “other” shape their perceptions and interactions and greatly affect the team culture and working atmosphere.

It is vital that managers are aware of the difference between bullying and harassment and understand their responsibilities regarding each. Furthermore, they must have the skills not just to prevent such instances but to actively build an inclusive team culture and working environment in which all employees feel secure and valued. Therefore, strong communication and conflict de-escalation skills should be paired with an understanding of employees’ perceptions of themselves and their colleagues.

Through this course, participants will develop their understanding of managers’ responsibilities through case studies and best practice examples regarding bullying and discrimination. Participants will also develop strategies for conflict de-escalation that they can use alongside teambuilding skills to ensure a sustainable, healthy and inclusive work environment that benefits all employees.

Topics discussed:

• Definitions of bullying and discrimination
• Managers’ responsibilities
• Team culture and working atmosphere
• Recognizing our biases and their effect on how we see others
• Methods to counter the effects of our biases
• Dealing with the “other” – how strange is the “other” really?
• Dealing with conflicts and disputes
• Steps for successful interaction in diverse teams

This course is ideal for:

• All managers who want to increase their understanding of the legal context surrounding bullying and discrimination
• Managers at all levels
• Anyone who wants the base-level understanding to create a workplace bullying and discrimination policy

Your benefits:

• Create a welcoming workplace environment in which all employees feel secure
• Prevent bullying and discrimination
• Avoid employees’ psychological distress and productivity decreases caused by workplace bullying
• Avoid potential legal action because of workplace discrimination