ANTI-BULLYING AND HARASSMENT POLICY

Here at boohoo we want to provide a safe and supportive working environment for all our people, free from bullying and harassment. This Policy explains: o how we expect our people to behave o what to do if you see or experience inappropriate behaviour o how we can all help to create a respectful working environment The aim of this Policy is to help prevent the occurrence of bullying, harassment and/or victimisation at work and to provide guidance on how to resolve complaints both informally and formally should you see or experience such behaviour. At boohoo we deal with any forms of bullying or harassment towards our people very seriously. This Policy applies to all our people at all levels including Colleagues, agency and casual workers, independent contractors, volunteers and other third parties working on behalf of boohoo. If we find that you've bullied or harassed someone, made false allegations, or treated a colleague badly because they've raised a legitimate concern we may deal with this under our Disciplinary Policy. Also if you make an informal or formal bullying, harassment and/or victimisation complaint, you'll be treated fairly, without victimisation or detriment. However, where vexatious or malicious complaints are made, they'll be treated seriously and may result in disciplinary action. We all have a responsibility to create a culture where bullying and harassment doesn't happen in our workplaces, and challenging it or reporting it if we see it happening.

DEFINITIONS

Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour through the misuse of power or position, which leaves the person feeling upset, intimidated, and vulnerable and undermines their self-confidence. Power does not always mean being in a position of authority, but can include both personal strength and the power to coerce through fear or intimidation. Examples of Bullying include:

Verbal abuse - shouting, swearing or threatening a person

  • Physical abuse - shaking, pushing or blocking someone's way
  • Setting unreasonable objectives or deadlines
  • Excessive or overbearing supervision or the misuse of power o giving persistent unjustified criticism
  • Inappropriate derogatory remarks about someone's performance

Any misuse of power or position, if proven will be taken into account in deciding what disciplinary action to take.

Victimisation is where a person is treated less favourably because they have raised allegations, brought proceedings, given evidence or complained about the behaviour of someone who has been harassing or discriminating against them or others.

Harassment is defined as any act or conduct which is unwanted and unwelcome and which could reasonably be regarded as offensive, humiliating or intimidating on any discriminatory grounds. Harassment will be unlawful if it is related to age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation

(Protected Characteristics).

For example, a person can be harassed because of their spouse's religious beliefs or because they are wrongly perceived to be gay. A Colleague can be harassed by a colleague or a third party for example a customer or supplier. Examples of Harassment include: o insensitive jokes, innuendo or pranks; o lewd comments about appearance o circulation of offensive material o mocking, mimicking or belittling a person's disability o offensive emails, text messages or social media content o exclusion from normal workplace conversation or social events i.e. 'being frozen out' If someone's behaviour is unwanted and causes offence, even if it wasn't done on purpose, it may be harassment. A person may be harassed even if they are not the intended "target". For example, a person can overhear a racist joke about a different ethnic group to their own and if the joke creates an offensive environment for that person, this can amount to harassment. Always try to think about how your behaviour or language might affect other people. If you're not sure whether it's right for the workplace, its best to err on the side of caution.

Discrimination can be either Direct or Indirect. Direct discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favourably because of a Protected Characteristic. Examples of Direct Discrimination are:

  • Making decisions about whether someone should be offered or not offered a job because of their religious views of because they might be gay
  • Making decisions about who should, or should not, be promoted or trained because of their disability
  • Dismissing a Colleague because she is pregnant

Indirect discrimination occurs where an unjustifiable requirement or condition is applied which, although in theory applies to everyone, in practice puts a group who share a common Protected Characteristic at a particular disadvantage.

An example of Indirect Discrimination can be:

  • Requiring a job to be done full-time rather than part-time.

This could disadvantage women because they generally have greater childcare commitments unless it can be justified. In addition, disability discrimination can include either direct or indirect discrimination, any unjustified less favourable treatment because of the effects of a disability, and failure to make reasonable adjustments to alleviate disadvantages caused by a disability. Please refer to the Disability in Work and Reasonable Adjustments Policy for further information.

RESOLVING THINGS INFORMALLY

Sometimes, explaining to the person responsible how it makes you feel and asking them to stop may get things resolved. They might not realise the impact of their words or actions or have meant to offend you.

But if you don't feel able to speak to the person, talk to your manager about the problems you're having. If it's appropriate, your manager may speak to them confidentially to say that their behaviour is inappropriate and needs to change.

If you don't feel you can speak to your manager, or your complaint is about them, you can speak informally to your manager's reporting manager. There may be other people you feel comfortable speaking to, such as another manager, the HR Team or you can make a formal complaint.

MAKING A FORMAL COMPLAINT

If you don't feel able to sort things out informally, you can make a formal complaint. To do this, you'll need to raise a grievance. You'll need to put your grievance in writing and send it to the HR team. See the Grievance Policy for more information.

We know it's not an easy thing to do to speak up about these things, so we'll investigate this as quickly and confidentially as possible. If appropriate, we may take disciplinary action against those involved.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Remember, you're responsible for your own behaviour while at work, any time you're representing boohoo outside of the workplace or at any work-related event. We're all expected to be respectful and considerate of other people and individual differences.

BEHAVIOUR OUTSIDE WORK

If you experience unwanted or offensive behaviour that happens outside of the workplace but still to do with your work, like at a work-related social event or training course, tell your manager. They'll investigate and deal with it in line with this Policy.

SOCIAL MEDIA

If you put potentially offensive or inappropriate comments or images about or directed at Colleagues or customers on social media sites, we'll take this very seriously and investigate it in line with this Policy and our Social Media Policy. There's more information in our Social Media Policy. Further Support If you've got any questions, speak to your manager or get in touch with the HR team on HR.Burnley@boohoo.com or 01282 833042 or HR.Headoffice@boohoo.com or 0161 2374817.

MEDICASH COLLEAGUE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME (EAP) If you feel you need any additional support, please contact the Medicash EAP in confidence on 0345 565 1851 who may be able to help. Medicash is an independent, free and confidential advice line providing emotional, physical, financial and vocational support face-to-face, over the telephone, on site and through the confidential wellbeing website - www.medicash.org/wellness. As well as offering preventative and proactive self-help digital resources, the free and confidential helpline is available 24/7.

Please be aware that this policy isn't contractual and may be amended at any time.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - TYPES OF BULLYING AND HARASSMENT

As well as the behaviours listed in the Policy, there are some more examples below of behaviour which is unlawful and which here at Boohoo we think is unacceptable:

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Sexual harassment is defined as "unwanted and unwelcome conduct which could reasonably be regarded as sexually or otherwise on the gender ground, offensive, humiliating or intimidating." Sexual harassment undermines the dignity of your Colleague, and can affect their work performance. The following are common but not exhaustive examples of sexual harassment:

  • sexually suggestive jokes or comments
  • innuendo or jokes about a person's sexual orientation, insults or inappropriate questions about one's private life
  • display of offensive material
  • leering
  • offensive gestures or whistling
  • groping
  • patting or unnecessary touching o suggestions that sexual favours may further someone's career, or that refusal may damage it

RACIAL HARASSMENT AND BULLYING

Racial harassment is defined as unwanted or unwelcome conduct based on a person's race which is offensive to the Colleague and which might threaten their security or create a stressful, hostile or intimidating work environment. Harassment on the grounds of race may include:

  • verbal harassment: offensive jokes or remarks about a person's race or ethnic origin (including membership of the traveller community)
  • ridicule or assumptions based on racial stereotypes
  • visual harassment o production, display or circulation of materials offensive to particular racial or ethnic groups, such as cartoons or racial propaganda
  • physical harassment: physical assault, threats of physical assault

HOMOPHOBIC, BIPHOBIC OR TRANSGENDER BULLYING & HARASSMENT

This is behaviour that's unwanted or unwelcome and due to an irrational dislike, hatred or fear of people who are either lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), or other people think they are. Some examples of homophobic/transgender bullying and harassment are:

  • outing an individual as LGBT without their permission
  • spreading rumours or gossip about someone's sexual orientation or gender
  • asking an LGBT or transgender colleague intrusive questions about their private life
  • making assumptions and judgements about a colleague based on their sexual orientation/gender

DISABILITY-RELATED BULLYING & HARASSMENT

This is treatment of or behaviour towards someone that's unwanted or unwelcome, related to disability. It's offensive, humiliating and undermines the dignity of the person. Some examples of disability-related bullying and harassment are:

  • making assumptions or judgements about a colleague based on their disability
  • making jokes or offensive remarks about someone's disability
  • pressuring a colleague to work over their contractual hours, when the reason they can't is because they have caring responsibilities for someone who is disabled

BULLYING AND HARASSMENT ON THE GROUNDS OF RELIGION, RELIGIOUS BELIEF OR POLITICAL OPINION

Some examples of harassment because of religion or religious belief or political opinion are:

  • ridicule, making jokes or offensive remarks about a particular political party or religion/ religious belief
  • excluding someone because of their political opinion or religious group

CYBER BULLYING AND HARASSMENT

This is using technology, such as mobile phones and the internet, to bully or harass Colleagues, both during and/or outside of work time. Some examples of cyber bullying and harassment are:

  • emailing or texting someone threatening or nasty messages
  • emailing an embarrassing or humiliating image or video of someone, posting it on social media, or forwarding it onto others
  • harassing someone by repeatedly sending texts or instant messages in a chat room
  • posting or forwarding someone else's personal information or images without their permission

This list is not exhaustive.

Remember, if it's not ok to say something to someone's face, it's not ok to say it online.

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Boohoo.com plc published this content on 07 December 2022 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 07 December 2022 17:11:04 UTC.