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5) Getting Help at Work
We
may experience abuse at work from the people that we work with, and/or from
members of the public. As with all forms of abuse, we do not deserve this and
it is not acceptable.
Getting Support
If you are being abused at work, try to find a sympathetic colleague to support you in taking action to tackle it.
If you are a member of a trade union, your “shop steward” or local union branch will be able to help and support you. They will be able to contact full-time specialist union officials for further help if this is necessary.
If you are not a member of a trade union but there is a trade union in your workplace, your shop steward may still be able to help you. You should be able to find out about whether there is a union from your workplace noticeboard.
Grievance Procedures
If you are being abused by a colleague, your employer may have a “grievance procedure” that you can use to make a complaint. You should have been given details of this along with your contract of employment when you started work.
Grievance procedures set out how your employer must deal with a complaint. If your complaint is upheld, your employer can take disciplinary action against your abuser, including dismissing them.
Harassment Policies
Your employer may also have an “harassment policy” which spells out how your colleagues should behave, and what behaviour is unacceptable and how it will be punished.
Safety Procedures
If you work with members of the public, your employer may have a “safety procedure” stating that abusive behaviour will not be tolerated and what action will be taken to tackle it. You should have been given details of this procedure and how it operates along with your contract of employment when you started work.
Workplace Domestic Violence Policies
If you are experiencing abuse from someone you
live with or used to live with, they may cause you problems at work. For example,
they may make unwanted phone calls to you, send you unwanted emails, or even
follow you to work.
Your employer has a legal obligation to provide a safe environment for you to
work in. More and more employers are therefore adopting “workplace domestic
violence policies” to deal with these situations.
Ask your line manager or personnel manager if your company has a policy. If not, the TUC has published “Domestic Violence: A guide for the workplace”, which is aimed at both employers and shop stewards. It’s available price £20 (£7.50 for members of trade unions) including postage and packing from TUC Publications, Trades Union Congress, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS. Tel: 020 7467 1294. Fax: 020 7636 0632. Email: websales@tuc.org.uk
Outside Organisations
There are a range of organisations that can help you if you are experiencing abuse at work.
There are other specialist local and national organisations
that can help you depending on your individual circumstances. For details of
these and other helpful addresses, see 13: “Resources
for Fighting Abuse”.
Next: Getting Help from the Council
Image courtesy of the Change Picture Bank