We’ve all heard these terms thrown around at work, often interchangeably. But here’s the thing, they’re not the same, and knowing the difference actually matters. Whether you’re dealing with difficult workplace situations yourself or trying to support a colleague, understanding these distinctions can help you see what you’re facing and, more importantly, what to do about it.
What Does Bullying Look Like?
Bullying at work is repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed at someone that creates a risk to their health and safety. It’s not just one bad day or a heated disagreement.
Think of it this way:
- Someone is constantly undermining your work in meetings
- A manager repeatedly gives you impossible deadlines, whilst others get reasonable ones
- Colleagues deliberately exclude you from work events or conversations
- Persistent criticism that’s not constructive, just mean-spirited
The keyword here is repeated. One-off incidents, whilst potentially unpleasant, don’t typically constitute bullying. It’s the pattern that matters.
Understanding Harassment
Harassment takes things a step further. It’s unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic things like age, sex, race, disability, religion, or sexual orientation. The behaviour needs to violate someone’s dignity or create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment.
Here’s what harassment might involve:
- Offensive jokes or comments about someone’s race or religion
- Unwanted physical contact or sexual advances
- Displaying offensive materials or images
- Intrusive questions about someone’s personal life related to a protected characteristic
The crucial bit? Harassment doesn’t need to be repeated. Even a single incident can be severe enough to count.
What About Victimisation?
Now, this one’s a bit different. Victimisation in the workplace happens when someone maltreats you because you’ve complained about discrimination or harassment, or because you’ve supported someone else who has.
Imagine you’ve raised concerns about sexist comments in your team. If your manager then starts giving you poor performance reviews or passes you over for promotion, that’s victimisation. It’s essentially retaliation for doing the right thing.
Examples include:
- Being denied training opportunities after making a complaint
- Sudden negative treatment from colleagues after supporting a discrimination claim
- Being labelled a troublemaker for speaking up about harassment
Recognising the Differences
So how do you tell them apart? Think about these questions:
- Is it repeated behaviour? That leans towards bullying.
- Does it relate to who you are (your protected characteristics)? That’s likely harassment.
- Are you being treated poorly because you complained or supported someone’s complaint? That’s victimisation.
Sometimes these behaviours overlap. Someone might bully you and harass you. Or you might face victimisation after experiencing bullying. The categories aren’t mutually exclusive.
What Matters Most
Understanding these distinctions isn’t just academic, it affects your rights and the proper channels for addressing what’s happening. Each has different legal protections and reporting procedures. If you’re unsure what you’re experiencing, speak to HR, a union representative, or seek legal advice. You don’t have to navigate this alone, and you deserve a workplace where you’re treated with respect.
