Guides › Work and Employment › Bullying and Harassment at Work: What You Can Do
Bullying and Harassment at Work: What You Can Do
Bullying is behaviour that makes you feel intimidated or offended, such as spreading rumours, regularly undermining you or treating you unfairly. Bullying on its own is not against the law, but harassment linked to a protected characteristic, such as your sex, race, disability or age, is unlawful under the Equality Act. Your employer is responsible for preventing both.
At A Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
Bullying and Harassment
Bullying
Behaviour that makes someone feel intimidated or offended, such as spreading malicious rumours, unfair treatment, regularly undermining someone or denying training or promotion. source
Harassment
Unwanted behaviour linked to age, sex, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful. source
What to Do
Steps
Try to sort it out informally; raise it with a manager, HR or union rep; then use the grievance procedure. If harassment continues, you can take legal action at an employment tribunal. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- 6 monthsTribunal time limit (minus 1 day)From the most recent incident, if on or after 1 October 2026
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
Keep a diary: what happened, when, who saw it.
Step 2 of 5
Save messages and emails.
Step 3 of 5
Raise it informally if you feel safe to.
Step 4 of 5
Raise a formal grievance.
Step 5 of 5
Get advice from Acas about a claim.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
Acas Helpline
Free and confidential. 0300 123 1100, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Acas Early Conciliation
You must tell Acas before you make most tribunal claims. It is free.
Citizens Advice or Your Trade Union
Free help to check your case and work out what you are owed.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
If the treatment made you resign, read about constructive dismissal before you leave.
Rules here are for England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own employment law, the Labour Relations Agency and industrial tribunals; see nidirect.
Want Help?
If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.
Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 15 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- gov.uk/workplace-bullying-and-harassment Checked 15 October 2026
- acas.org.uk/contact Checked 8 October 2026
- acas.org.uk/early-conciliation/how-early-conciliation-works Checked 8 October 2026