Harassment is never okay. We condemn unacceptable behaviour, including all forms of harassment under the Equality Act 2010. If you know someone who has been affected by harassment, you and they are not alone, support is available.
What is harassment?
Harassment is unwanted physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct which may (intentionally or unintentionally) violate a person’s dignity or create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment, which interferes with an individual’s learning, working or social environment. It also includes treating someone less favourably because they have submitted or refused to submit to such behaviour in the past.
Unlawful harassment may involve sexual harassment or be related to a protected characteristic such as age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. We believe harassment is unacceptable even if it does not fall within any of these categories.
Harassment may include, for example:
- unwanted physical conduct or ‘horseplay’, including touching, pinching, pushing, grabbing, brushing past someone, invading their personal space and more serious forms of physical or sexual assault
- offensive or intimidating comments or gestures, or insensitive jokes or pranks
- mocking, mimicking or belittling a person’s disability
- racist, sexist, homophobic or ageist jokes, or derogatory or stereotypical remarks about a particular ethnic or religious group or gender
- outing or threatening to out someone as gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans
- ignoring or shunning someone, for example, by deliberately excluding them from a conversation or a social activity.
A person may be harassed even if they were not the intended "target". For example, a person may be harassed by racist jokes about a different ethnic group if they create an offensive environment.
What can you do?
Bullying and harassment are contrary to the Equality Act 2010. We all have a role to play in ensuring that the ICR is a supportive work environment through challenging inappropriate behaviours using active bystander tools and supporting our colleagues. If someone you know has been affected, you can encourage them to seek support. Alternatively you make an anonymous disclosure which will allow us to investigate if there are multiple instances in one area.
Think
- Are they in immediate danger? If they are in immediate danger or seriously injured, they can contact the emergency services on 999 (or 112 from a mobile phone).
- Find a safe space. If an incident has just happened they should try and find somewhere safe.
- What are bullying and harassment? It might be useful to think about what is meant by bullying and harassment and how these behaviours are described.
Talk
If someone you know has been affected, you can encourage them to seek support from their manager or team leader, and students can raise with their supervisor or a member of the Academic Dean's Team
If someone you know has been affected, you can encourage them to seek support from their manager or team leader, and students can raise with their supervisor or a member of the Academic Dean's Team
Staff and students can also use our Employee Assistance Programme
People on the receiving end of unacceptable behaviour may find it helpful to talk through their experiences and emotions with you and these six active listening tips might help you support them.
People on the receiving end of unacceptable behaviour may find it helpful to talk through their experiences and emotions with you and these six active listening tips might help you support them.
Report
Sometimes an individual may be too upset to report the incident themselves or concerned about the consequences for them and they may prefer you to report on their behalf. If so you should
Sometimes an individual may be too upset to report the incident themselves or concerned about the consequences for them and they may prefer you to report on their behalf. If so you should
- Call HR or Registry direct if you feel there is immediate danger and/or require immediate response
- Report and Support. Report using the ICR's Report and Support system either anonymously or you can request support from an advisor in HR or Registry. If you choose to talk to an advisor they will be able to talk through the options and support available to you, in confidence.
- ICR's Procedures. Options include making a formal complaint to ICR about a student or member of staff are outlined in the following procedures which set out the steps you'll need to follow, these are held on Nexus for Staff and for Students
Get Support
Further guidance is available on the Bullying and Harassment and Student Welfare and Wellbeing pages of Nexus
Further guidance is available on the Bullying and Harassment and Student Welfare and Wellbeing pages of Nexus
- You can contact our Employee Assistance Provider Spectrum Life, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling Freephone UK: 0808 196 2016 or WhatsApp: Text 'Hi' to 07418 360 780
You can also access EAP services via the online wellbeing platform - Register online - They can also talk with a Wellbeing advisor
- There are a number of specialist organisations that provide specialist support, including counselling for those affected by harassment. You could encourage your colleague to reach out to such support. Nexus has a 'who to talk to' site which details a number of internal and external sources of support for staff and students