Responsibilities of managers
The employer and the manager, responsible for preventing offensive behaviour, including bullying and sexual harassment.
Offensive behaviour, bullying and sexual harassment at the workplace must be prevented and dealt with.
If, as a manager, you find out that offensive behaviour, bullying or sexual harassment is taking place between your employees, you must intervene.
As an employer/manager you are responsible for complying with health and safety legislation. Together, the employer/manager and the employees can help prevent offensive behaviour, bullying or sexual harassment at the workplace, but management initiatives to prevent and handle such behaviour are crucial.
Read more about causes and symptoms of bulling and harassment in the Understanding offensive behaviour, including bullying and sexual harassment section above.
If someone approaches you about bullying, sexual harassment or other offensive behaviour
It’s difficult to lay down a standard for what type of behaviour is acceptable and what is not. What is acceptable behaviour among colleagues at one workplace may be perceived as unacceptable and offensive at another.
Therefore, it’s important that you start by looking at how the person who has experienced the behaviour perceives of the behaviour, even if other information is needed to fully determine whether the behaviour taking place can be deemed to be offensive behaviour, bullying or sexual harassment.
- As a manager you should examine what has happened, and how each of the people involved perceives of the situation.
- Always take it seriously if an employee feels poorly treated and decides to tell you about it. This also applies to witnesses and employees who experience being wrongfully accused of offensive behaviour, bullying or sexual harassment.
- Make it clear that offensive behaviour, including bullying and sexual harassment is unacceptable, and look for constructive solutions.
Bullying hotline
The Danish Working Environment Authority has a hotline for bullying in the workplace. Both managers and employees can get advice and guidance anonymously if they experience bullying in the workplace. There is also advice on how to prevent bullying.
- The telephone number for the hotline is +45 70 22 12 80.