Cyberbullying Policy

The policy set out below could either be incorporated into an existing policy on bullying and harassment or used as a stand-alone policy.

Policy Statement

{{org_field_name}} has a zero tolerance policy towards all forms of bullying and harassment and this includes bullying using technology such as mobile phones and computers whether it takes place within the workplace or outside. Any employee found to be in breach of the policy will be subject to the disciplinary policy and disciplinary action could include dismissal.

Definition of Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying includes:

offensive e-mails — sending offensive e-mails to a colleague (even if this is meant as a joke) — and continuing to send similar messages having already been asked to stop
e-mail threats — this might also include ostensibly relatively inoffensive messages in terms of actual content where it is the implied meaning behind the message that constitutes a form of bullying. An example of this might be where a superior is using e-mail to bombard an employee with more work than he or she can handle, while other members of the team are not being treated in the same way
posting blogs and leaving comments on social networking sites — it may be that a person does not experience any direct form of cyberbullying, being unaware that the bully is posting offensive messages about him or her on sites in the public domain
propagating defamatory gossip about employees on social networking sites and blogs
threats or offensive comments sent to a person’s mobile phone via SMS text messages
harassment by e-mail — sending persistent e-mails to a person when previous e-mail approaches have been rejected
sharing a person’s private data online — posting somebody’s personal details, ie those which they would not normally want to share with complete strangers, such as home addresses and phone numbers — in such a way that they becomes available to the general public
picture/video-clip bullying via mobile phone cameras
chat room bullying
bullying via websites.

Although similar in many respects to other forms of bullying, cyberbullying also has some very specific features

It invades both home and personal space
The size of the audience can be vast
Electronically-circulated messages can be difficult to control
The bully can feel relatively anonymous
It can have a large number of “bystanders” or “accessories”
Much (if not all) of the bullying may take place out of working hours.

The Aims of the Policy

Through this policy we aim to:

raise awareness amongst employees about cyberbullying
provide a safe work environment in which preventative measures are in place to deter cyberbullying
ensure systems are in place to deal with cyberbullying should it occur.

Procedure

Prevention

In order that these aims can be fulfilled, a number of preventative measures will be taken.

Awareness-raising — Employees

All new employees will be made aware of this policy and its fellow policy on bullying and harassment and in particular:

what constitutes cyberbullying (the list will not be exhaustive)
that this is unacceptable behaviour and may lead to disciplinary action
how to report any incidents of cyberbullying to which they have been subjected.

Awareness-raising — Managers

Managers should be in the best position to notice if a member of staff is distressed at work and should investigate the cause. Managers will also be given training in the policy and how it should be applied.

Dealing with Cyberbullying Incidents

There is often some visual evidence after cyberbullying has taken place. Employees should be encouraged to pass this on to their managers . In some cases, it will be necessary to contact mobile phone companies, Internet service providers or social networking sites.

The following advice should be given to those experiencing cyberbullying.

Do not retaliate or reply.
Block or remove offenders from buddy lists.
Review the information you are giving out.
Make sure you tell your manager and raise a formal complaint so that this can be properly investigated.
Try to keep calm and do not let the bully see a reaction.

If the person responsible for the bullying is identified, sanctions will be applied under organisation’s disciplinary policy. In addition, the following sanctions might be implemented, depending upon the nature and severity of the bullying:

restricting the use of equipment, such as mobile phones, during working hours
withdrawing access to the Internet for a set period of time
limiting use of the Internet for a set period of time
contacting the police, where the cyberbullying is sufficiently severe
informing external agencies such as social networking or e-mail member sites

Support will be provided for the victim. This may include meeting the bully to discus what has happened and agree a way forward.

Equal Opportunities

As with other forms of bullying, cyberbullying is prone to being driven by prejudice. {{org_field_name}} is alert to the possibilities of sexist, racist and homophobic cyberbullying. Although all victims of bullying can be reluctant to discuss their experiences, victims of homophobic bullying may be particularly so.

Monitoring Success

The HR department will review the policy on an annual basis. It will address the following questions.

How many incidents of cyberbullying have been recorded in the past 12 months?
Is there evidence of actions resulting from reported incidents of cyberbullying?
Have the actions been effective, ie has the behaviour desisted?
When talking to staff, is there an awareness of what cyberbullying is and what to do if they encounter it?

Staff surveys will also include questions about the effectiveness of this policy.

Linked Policies

Other policies which should be referred to include [insert your own list; the following is an example]:

discipline
bullying and harassment
equal opportunities
use of the Internet and social networking.

Further Information

Most of the published information about cyberbullying relates to school children and there are several Internet sites providing help and support for them, but little for adults.

In 2009, Acas commissioned a study from the Institute for Employment Studies which looked at the use of social media and contains some useful insights into actions taken by a small number of employers. It also addresses the issue of cyberbullying. The research paper “Workplace Social Networking: The Implications for Employment Relations”, ref 11/11 is available from the Acas website.

Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}

Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}

Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}

DW251. Cyberbullying