1. For students in NSW government schools and TAFE NSW institutes
Vocational Education in Schools
D I R E C T O R A T E
stay work - Part 2
For students in NSW government schools and TAFE NSW institutes
August 2004

2. What is workplace violence?
Workplace violence can be defined as “any incident in which employees or others at the place of work are threatened, abused or assaulted. It is unpredictable, hostile, unjust or unwarranted use of force and power against an individual or property by another individual or group”.
( Source: Managing Violence in the Workplace)

3. Examples of workplace violence and harassment
Someone threatening to hurt you
Verbal abuse, shouting, intimidation and sarcasm
Spitting, throwing, defacing or destroying property
Constant criticism or denigration
Damaging someone’s reputation
Pushing, touching, shoving, hitting, punching or kicking
Pulling hair or any other parts of the body or clothing
‘Ganging up’ on a colleague
Inducing exhaustion through work overload
Blocking a workers promotion prospects without justification

4. Examples of workplace violence and harassment ……..2
Isolating and excluding someone
Initiation rituals
Deliberate insults through offensive pictures and images
Stalking or loitering
Setting out to make a competent employee appear incompetent or make someone’s life miserable in the hope of them leaving work
Physical assault
Threats or threatening behaviour that is regarded as offensive, aggressive or of a sexual nature

5. What is harassment?
Harassment is offensive, belittling or threatening behaviour directed at an individual or group of workers. It consists of behaviour that is unwelcome, unsolicited, offensive, belittling, threatening, unreciprocated usually (but not always) and repeated.
(Source: ‘Achieving a Harassment-Free Workplace’, Public Service and Merit Protection Commission)

6. Examples of harassment
Bullying with sexual overtones
Bullying with racial overtones
Persistent shouting and swearing
Unreasonable threats of dismissal
Peer-to-peer bullying
Bullying by supervisors and managers
Making offensive noises
Making insulting remarks
Deliberate exclusion of a colleague

7. The Anti-Discrimination Act 1977
In NSW it is against the Anti-Discrimination Act for employees to be harassed because of:
age
sex
pregnancy
race
marital status
disability
homosexuality
transgender

8. Types of harassment Sexual harassment Racial harassment
Disability harassment

9. Sexual harassment Sexual harassment is any form of unwelcome:
behaviour
attention
material
that offends, intimidates or humiliates.
Workplace sexual harassment is against the law under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984

10. Examples of sexual harassment
Staring or leering
Sexual gestures, kissing, hugging or any other form of touching of a sexual nature
Posters, graffiti, , letters, video and cartoons with sexual overtones
Sexual comments, taunts, propositions, jokes and questions about sex life
Requests for sexual favours

11. Racial harassment
Racial harassment is any form of unfair treatment of people due to their cultural background.
The Racial Discrimination Act 1975 defines racial discrimination as any act involving a distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origins of a person.
Racial harassment/discrimination is against the law.

12. Examples of racial discrimination/harassment
Telling racist jokes
Making racist comments
Repeatedly mimicking one’s accent
Writing, painting or ing offensive messages or graffiti directed at one’s culture
Interfering or attacking property because of a person’s culture

13. Examples of racial discrimination/harassment…2
Isolating a person by refusing to interact or accept them because of their cultural background
Denying of information or access to promotion and leave because of racial background
Being given jobs that are not appropriate because of cultural background

14. Disability harassment
Disability harassment occurs when a person is discriminated against because of a disability.
A disability includes:
physical disability
physical illness or disease that makes, or has made, any part of the body or brain work differently
mental or psychiatric disability - including any behavioural disorder
intellectual disability
learning difficulty

15. Disability harassment..2
disfigurement or different formation of any part of the body
any organism in the body that could cause disease or illness - for example, hepatitis with no symptoms or HIV with no symptoms.
This form of harassment or discrimination is against the law under the Race Discrimination Act 1992.

16. Examples of disability harassment
Being treated less favourably than others because of a need to use palliative or therapeutic devices or aids, using a wheelchair, loud speaker phone or guide dog
Abusive or overbearing behaviour towards employees with intellectual disabilities
Remarks made to employees who have made a compensation claim

17. Bullying
A bully is defined as "a person who uses strength or power to coerce others by fear" and that to bully is to "oppress, persecute, physically or morally by (threat of) superior force."
Examples of bullying behaviour include unfair and excessive criticism, publicly insulting victims, ignoring their point of view, constantly changing or setting unrealistic work targets and undervaluing their efforts at work.

18. What to do if being bullied or harassed
Recognise - what is being done to you?
Take action
Identify the bully or harasser
Keep records
Talk to people about it
Refrain from retaliating
Complain formally about the treatment
Your teacher, supervisor, manager or harassment officer will contact an officer from the organisation to discuss the situation.

19. Facts about workplace violence
It is more common than people think
It occurs across a broad range of industries and workplaces
Both males and females are victims and perpetrators of workplace violence
It is very costly for both victims and employers
It is the unacceptable misuse and abuse of power
It can develop from poor management or from malicious intent or aggressiveness
Source: “A Secure Workplace for Young Australians”, WorkCover NSW and the National Children’s and Youth Law Centre

20. What are my rights at work?
The law says that your employer must not harass you or any of their employees at work. It also says that they must do their best to make sure that there is no harassment in their workplace. This means that they must do their best to make sure that your supervisor doesn't harass you, that your workmates don't harass you, and that customers, clients and any other people you have to deal with at work don't harass you. They must do this whether you are permanent, full-time, part-time, casual or a voluntary worker.
Source: Anti-Discrimination Board,

21. Further information WorkCover NSW
Department of Commerce – Office of Industrial Relations
Anti-Discrimination Board