Everyone who works and studies in the School of Geosciences will be treated with dignity and respect, and we encourage all members of our community to think about their interactions with others from this perspective. Inappropriate interpersonal behaviour, which includes bullying, harassment, and discrimination, can have a serious detrimental effect on the health, confidence, morale, and performance of those affected by it, and also on the working, learning and home environments. We have a shared responsibility to create and maintain a work and study environment with a culture where bullying, harassment and discrimination is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. This includes the ability of staff and students to challenge, where appropriate, or report any instances of unacceptable behaviour without fear of detriment or reprisal.
It can help to briefly think about the definitions of inappropriate behaviours.
Bullying occurs when a person engages in offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour which intentionally or unintentionally undermines, humiliates, denigrates or injures the recipient of the behaviour.
Harassment is defined by the Equality Act 2010 as “Unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual's dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual.” It can be directed at an individual or a group of people.
Discrimination is the unfair or prejudicial treatment of someone, because they have, or are perceived to have, protected characteristics as defined by, but not limited to, the Equality Act 2010. Discrimination can be direct or indirect.
For more information, please see here.