A Federal Government Bill was passed in June 2013 that will introduce new anti-bullying measures to take place from 1 January 2014.
The changes include the provision that if an employee believes a bullying claim is not being dealt with appropriately by the employer, they can go directly to the Fair Work Commission for assistance with the claim. There is also the option to by-pass an internal claim altogether and go directly to the Commission without consulting the employer.
While the Commission cannot order reinstatement of employment or the payment of compensation, it can request:
- the individual or group of individuals to stop the offending behaviour
- regular monitoring of behaviours by an employer
- compliance with an employer’s workplace bullying policy
- the provision of information and additional support and training to workers
- review of the employer’s workplace bullying policy.
