Reading time: about 29 minutes
Almost nobody who takes part in workplace bullying decides to bully anyone. They go along with something that has already been framed for them as reasonable. That is what makes manager-led bullying so effective, so hard to prove, and so damaging to the health of the person on the receiving end.
This is not a fringe problem. Acas found that 44% of working-age adults in Great Britain experienced conflict at work in the previous 12 months – the highest level ever recorded in a survey of workers in Great Britain – and bullying, discrimination or harassment was the subject in nearly a quarter of those cases (Acas, 2025).
The short version
• Bullying usually starts with a label, not an order. Once someone is called "difficult", leaving them out feels reasonable.
• Most colleagues who go along with it are uncomfortable, not hostile. One person openly disagreeing makes a real difference.
• Start a dated record today, and tell your GP what is happening.
• Join a union before you need one. Many will not take on a problem that started before you joined.
• Put a grievance in writing, and ask for an occupational health referral.
• Tribunal time limits keep running during a grievance. For acts on or after 1 October 2026 most limits are six months; before that, three months minus one day.
• Get independent advice before you resign or sign anything.
Where this applies: this guide covers Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). A few details differ in Scotland; these are flagged where they matter. Northern Ireland has its own employment and equality law and its own advice bodies – see If you work in Northern Ireland.
Contents
It never starts with an instruction
Five reasons a team goes along with it
How it spreads through a whole organisation
Why organisations think they can get away with it
Why it is cruel, and what it does to you
Ask for an occupational health referral
Staff networks are not a substitute for a union
If you work in Northern Ireland
How to find specialist legal support
Part one: understanding it
How bullying takes hold, why it spreads, and who it hurts most.
It never starts with an instruction
A manager does not say "freeze her out". They say she is difficult, not a team player, a performance concern. Once someone has been relabelled as a problem, leaving them out feels like professional judgement rather than unkindness.
Line managers are the most common source. In a national survey of 3,838 workers in England, one in ten reported bullying or harassment at work in the past year, and line managers were named in just over half of cases. The most common forms were excessive criticism, verbal abuse and humiliation (Bunce et al., 2024). Bullying can happen face to face, in writing, by phone or online (GOV.UK, no date b).
| What actually happens | What it gets called | Why people go along with it |
| Meeting invitations stop arriving | "Tightening up who needs to attend" | No single person sees the whole pattern |
| Every piece of work is checked line by line | "Close support" | It looks like ordinary management |
| Jokes at one person's expense | "Banter" | Laughing is easier than objecting |
| Information is withheld | "Need to know" | Each instance on its own is deniable |
| A note goes on file | "Following process" | Paperwork makes it look official |
Five reasons a team goes along with it
The label does the work. Nobody has to be cruel if the target has already been redefined as a problem to be managed.
Authority shifts the sense of responsibility. People feel they are following a process rather than making a moral choice. Research on the classic obedience studies suggests people go furthest when they identify with the person leading and believe the cause is legitimate (Haslam and Reicher, 2012).
Speaking up has a real price. Managers control rotas, references, pay and progression. The fear of becoming the next problem is not imagined.
Nobody wants to be the only one. Asch's conformity work showed that people will deny what they can plainly see rather than stand alone against a united group (Asch, 1956).
It escalates an inch at a time. An eye-roll, a missing invitation, a joke. Each small step makes the next one normal, so no obvious line is ever crossed.
Key insight
Most bystanders are not hostile. They are uncomfortable, isolated, and quietly assuming everyone else is fine with it. Silence reads as agreement, which makes the next person's silence easier.
An example: how it builds
This example is invented. It is a composite drawn from the patterns described by Acas and the research cited in this guide, and does not describe any real person, workplace or employer.
Jay has worked in a busy contact centre for six years, with consistently strong call-quality scores. As Jay's hearing loss worsens, Jay asks for written summaries of team briefings and a desk away from the noisiest part of the floor. A new team leader agrees to move the desk, but starts telling colleagues that Jay is "not really keeping up with the pace". Within weeks, Jay's calls are monitored more closely than anyone else's, and the feedback arrives by email with other people copied in. Jay stops being asked to help train new starters, because "we need someone who can move quickly". Colleagues who used to take their break with Jay start taking it at different times. At the next review, six years of strong scores are summarised as "ongoing concerns about pace".
No single step looks like bullying. Together, they are. Each stage maps onto the mechanisms above: a label ("not keeping up"), authority ("the team leader says so"), a cost to anyone who objects, and small steps that make the next one feel normal. Jay's best protection is to start a dated record, see a GP, contact a union, put a grievance in writing, and ask for an occupational health referral – the steps set out in part two.
How bullying escalates: five steps, each one presented as reasonable management.
How it spreads through a whole organisation
Bullying spreads because it works, and because nothing stops it. A manager who gets results by grinding someone down is rewarded with those results. Other managers watch, copy the method, and the standard for "firm management" shifts. New staff learn the local rules by watching what happens to the person being squeezed.
Silence is the fuel. Acas found that about one in five people in conflict at work took no action at all, fewer than one in ten raised a formal grievance, and under 0.5% filed an employment tribunal claim (Acas, 2025). Almost none of it is ever formally recorded, so from the boardroom the organisation looks healthy.
It stops when the behaviour costs the person doing it something. That means measuring it honestly (anonymous surveys, exit interviews that are actually read, tracking grievances by manager rather than by team), acting on patterns instead of single incidents, training managers to handle performance without hostility, and making it clear that retaliating against someone who raises a concern is itself a disciplinary matter.
If you are watching it happen
What breaks it is surprisingly cheap: one person visibly disagreeing. In Asch's experiments, a single ally who broke the unanimous majority cut conformity dramatically (Asch, 1956). In a workplace, that looks like saying, in the meeting, "I don't think that's fair", or asking why a colleague was not invited.
• Name the behaviour, not the person. "That comment wasn't OK" is harder to argue with than "you're a bully".
• Check in privately with the person being targeted. Isolation is the mechanism; contact is the antidote.
• Keep dated notes of what you saw, stored somewhere your employer cannot delete. You may be the witness who makes a complaint stick.
Why organisations think they can get away with it
Because, statistically, they usually do. The numbers above show how rarely anything formal happens. Bullying is also cheap for the employer: a person who is being squeezed often resigns, and a resignation costs far less than a redundancy or a dismissal that has to be justified. Around one in ten people who experienced conflict at work left their job because of it (Acas, 2025).
It is also used deliberately: to move someone out without paying them off, to manage out a person whose sickness absence or reasonable adjustments are seen as inconvenient, to silence someone who raised a safety or financial concern, or to protect a favoured manager.
Who is most at risk
Bullying lands hardest on people with the least power to push back and the most to lose. The research points to several groups:
• Disabled people. Acas found conflict at work was reported by 68% of people whose disability has a major impact on their daily life, and bullying, discrimination or harassment featured in 40% of their cases – well above the level reported by everyone else (Acas, 2025).
• Women. Women were more likely than men to report conflict about bullying, discrimination or harassment (Acas, 2025). In the England survey, 12.2% of women reported bullying or harassment in the past year, against 10.6% of workers overall (Bunce et al., 2024).
• People from mixed, multiple and other ethnic groups. In the England survey, 21% reported bullying or harassment, twice the overall rate – though this finding comes from a small number of people and should be read with care (Bunce et al., 2024).
• LGBT+ workers. TUC polling found around one in five LGBT+ workers said their most recent experience of unfair treatment at work involved bullying, verbal abuse, deadnaming or violence linked to being LGBT+, or seeing it happen to others (Trades Union Congress, 2024).
• People under money pressure. Workers in debt (15.2%) or living in cold homes (14.6%) were more likely to report bullying or harassment (Bunce et al., 2024). Money worries make it harder to walk away, or to risk speaking up.
Being in one of these groups can also give you extra legal protection. If bullying is linked to disability, sex, race, sexual orientation or another protected characteristic, it may be unlawful harassment under the Equality Act 2010 – see Your legal protections.
Why it is cruel, and what it does to you
It is cruel because it attacks the things people rely on to stay well: being believed, being useful, and belonging somewhere. And because the person is expected to keep turning up, performing, and being pleasant to the people doing it.
Being bullied at work is consistently linked with depression, anxiety and stress-related symptoms, and the link holds over time rather than only in the moment (Verkuil, Atasayi and Molendijk, 2015). In the England survey, people reporting bullying or harassment were around two and a half times more likely to meet the criteria for a common mental health condition, and reported lower confidence and less sense of closeness to other people (Bunce et al., 2024). Acas found that 57% of people experiencing conflict at work suffered stress, anxiety or depression as a result, with 10% going off sick (Acas, 2025).
None of this is a sign of weakness. The Health and Safety Executive treats workplace relationships and unacceptable behaviour as one of six areas of work that employers should manage to prevent work-related stress (Health and Safety Executive, no date).
The brochure and the reality
Most organisations publish a dignity at work policy, an inclusion statement and a wellbeing offer. Then the same organisation hands a bullied employee a mindfulness app, asks them to "rebuild the relationship" with the person harming them, or tells them their grievance is really a performance issue. Values on a wall cost nothing. What tells you about an employer is what happens to the manager after a grievance is upheld – and whether the person who complained is still there a year later.
| Handled well | Handled badly |
| Concerns are taken at face value and looked into promptly | The complaint is reframed as a personality clash or a capability issue |
| The investigator is genuinely independent of the manager involved | The investigation is run by a colleague or friend of the manager |
| The person raising it keeps their role, duties and reputation | They are moved, sidelined or put on a performance plan soon afterwards |
| Patterns across time and across several staff are examined | Each incident is assessed alone, so none of them is "serious enough" |
| Findings are acted on, including against senior people | The outcome is confidential, vague, and nothing visibly changes |
| Occupational health and adjustments are offered early | The employee is offered a settlement agreement and a confidentiality clause |
Part two: what to do
Practical steps, your rights, and where to get help.
Your action plan
Every situation is different, and you do not have to do all of these at once. But this is the order that usually protects you best.
1. Start a record today. Dates, what happened, who was there, and how it affected you. See Keep records from day one.
2. Look after your health. See your GP and tell them the problems are connected to work.
3. Get independent advice early. Your union if you have one (and join one if you do not), the Acas helpline, Citizens Advice, or the Equality Advisory and Support Service if a protected characteristic is involved.
4. Raise it informally if it is safe. With the person, your manager, or another manager if your manager is the problem.
5. Put a formal grievance in writing. See Raising a grievance.
6. Ask for an occupational health referral. See Ask for an occupational health referral.
7. Watch the time limits. If a tribunal claim is possible, contact Acas for early conciliation before your deadline, even if your grievance has not finished. See Time limits.
8. Get specialist advice before you resign or sign anything. Especially a settlement agreement.
Keep records from day one
Bullying is hard to prove because each incident, on its own, can be explained away. A record turns scattered incidents into a pattern. Acas advises keeping a diary that covers what happened, how it made you feel, the dates and times, any evidence such as emails or screenshots, and any witnesses. Most bullying happens out of sight, so having no witnesses should not stop you reporting it (Acas, no date i).
| What to keep | Why it matters |
| A dated diary, written as soon as possible after each incident | Notes made at the time carry far more weight than memories pieced together months later |
| Emails, messages, meeting invitations and screenshots | They show tone, timing and patterns in the other person's own words |
| Names of anyone who saw or heard what happened | People who will not speak up now may be willing to later |
| The effect on you: sleep, appetite, concentration, time off | It connects the behaviour to harm to your health |
| GP notes, fit notes and occupational health reports | They are an independent clinical record, not just your account |
| Your grievance, the replies, and notes of every meeting | They show how your employer responded, and how quickly |
| Appraisals, praise and positive feedback from before it started | They undermine any sudden claim that you were always a problem |
• Keep it factual. Write what was said and done, not what you think it meant. Facts are harder to dismiss.
• Keep copies safe. Store your diary somewhere your employer cannot access or delete. Be careful about forwarding confidential business information or other people's personal details to a personal account, which can breach workplace policy. If in doubt, ask an adviser what you can keep.
• Ask for what they hold on you. You have the right to a copy of the personal information your employer holds about you, which can include emails and HR notes that mention you. They must normally respond within one month, and must comply even if you are in a grievance or tribunal process (Information Commissioner's Office, no date).
Ask for an occupational health referral
If bullying is affecting your health, ask your employer, in writing, to refer you to occupational health. Occupational health advisers are doctors or nurses who specialise in how work affects health, and how health affects work. Many employees see a referral as a first step towards being managed out. Acas has said that belief is common, but that occupational health works best as a route to support and adjustments, not as a punishment (Acas, no date c).
A referral matters for five reasons:
• It puts the link on record. The connection between what is happening at work and what is happening to your health is written down by a clinician, not just claimed by you or denied by your manager.
• It can recommend adjustments. That might mean a different line manager, a change in reporting lines, adjusted hours or a phased return. Employers must make reasonable adjustments when they know, or could reasonably be expected to know, that someone is disabled (Acas, no date j).
• It can give an opinion on disability. Occupational health can say whether you are likely to be classed as disabled under the Equality Act 2010, which is what unlocks the duty to make adjustments and the disability discrimination protections (Acas, no date g).
• It puts your employer on notice. Once they have written clinical advice, doing nothing with it is much harder to justify later.
• It can name work-related stress. If the report identifies stress caused by work, that points squarely at the employer's duty to assess and manage it (Health and Safety Executive, no date).
Your rights in the process
• You must be asked for your consent. You have the right to see the report before it is released, and you can refuse to let it be released (Acas, no date g).
• If a doctor carries out the assessment, your employer must tell you in writing about your rights under the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988 (Acas, no date j).
• If occupational health wants information from your GP, you will be asked to sign a consent form and can see the GP's report before it is sent (Acas, no date j).
• Your employer must keep the report confidential and share it only with people who genuinely need it, such as your line manager and HR (Acas, no date j).
• Remember that your employer commissions and pays for the service. Go in prepared: bring a short written note of what has happened, how it is affecting your sleep, concentration and mood, whether you have seen your GP, and what changes would help you stay in or return to work.
Raising a grievance
A grievance is a formal complaint to your employer. Acas says it is usually best to try to sort things out informally first, and that if your manager is the person bullying you, you can raise it with someone else, such as another manager or HR (Acas, no date i). If informal steps do not work, or are not safe, put it in writing.
The Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures sets out what should happen next (Acas, no date b):
• You raise the grievance in writing, without unreasonable delay, with a manager who is not the subject of it.
• Your employer holds a meeting without unreasonable delay. You have the right to be accompanied by a work colleague or a trade union representative.
• Your employer investigates, then tells you the decision in writing.
• You can appeal if you are not satisfied. Where possible, the appeal should be heard by a manager who has not been involved before.
Why the Code matters
Employment tribunals take the Code into account. If an employer unreasonably fails to follow it, a tribunal can increase any compensation by up to 25%. If an employee unreasonably fails to follow it, compensation can be cut by up to 25% (Acas, no date b). That is a strong reason to put your grievance in writing and use the appeal stage.
Going through a grievance or appeal does not pause tribunal time limits (Acas, no date e). Acas consulted on a revised Code in 2026, so check the current version before you rely on its exact wording (Acas, 2026).
What HR is actually for
It helps to understand where HR sits. HR applies the organisation's policies and manages risk to the organisation, and HR staff are employed by that organisation rather than by you. That is a description of the structure, not a criticism of the people in the role – many are thoughtful and genuinely helpful, and where your interests and the organisation's interests point the same way, HR can be very effective indeed. They can get adjustments agreed, get a process run properly, and get a conversation had with a manager that you could not have yourself.
The Acas figures show how HR is typically involved. Only 13% of people experiencing conflict went to HR, yet where a manager was in conflict with someone who reported to them, HR was involved in around half of cases (Acas, 2025).
What follows from that is practical rather than adversarial. What you say to HR may be written down and shared with the manager concerned, so put anything important in writing yourself, keep your own copies outside work systems, and take independent advice alongside – from a union, Acas or Citizens Advice. Doing that is ordinary good sense, not a sign that you distrust anyone.
Staff networks are not a substitute for a union
Internal staff networks, employee forums and disability or race networks can be excellent for peer support, sense-checking and long-term culture change. But they are funded, hosted and often chaired inside the organisation, their chairs usually have day jobs and line managers, and they carry no legal standing. Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.
A trade union is independent of your employer. It can advise you confidentially, accompany you to formal grievance and disciplinary hearings, and, in stronger cases, fund legal advice or representation. Only 8% of people in conflict at work spoke to a union or employee representative (Acas, 2025), which is a striking under-use of the one source of support that does not answer to the employer.
Joining a union
Everyone working in the UK has the right to join a trade union. You can join one even if your employer does not recognise it, and you can belong to more than one. Your employer must not refuse you promotion or training, dismiss you, or select you for redundancy because you joined a union or took part in its activities (GOV.UK, no date a; Trades Union Congress, no date).
A union rep can advise you, help you put a grievance in writing, and go with you to grievance and disciplinary meetings (GOV.UK, no date a). Unions also see the same employers and the same managers again and again, which means they may already know about the pattern you are describing.
Union rights are also being strengthened. From 30 October 2026, unions get updated rights of access to workplaces, union representatives get new rights to time off and facilities, and workers taking industrial action are protected from being treated less favourably. From 1 January 2027, employers will have a duty to tell workers about their right to join a union (Acas, no date d).
Join before you need it
Many UK unions will not take on a problem that started before you joined, in the same way an insurer will not pay out on a policy taken out after the accident (Community, no date). Some may still offer general advice, or help if the issue affects a group of members. The best time to join is before anything goes wrong. The second best time is today.
• Find the right union. Ask colleagues whether there is a recognised union at your workplace, or use the TUC to find the union for your sector or profession.
• Check the rates. Subscriptions vary between unions, so compare before you join.
• Get involved if you can. Individual cases are easier to win in a workplace where members stick together. Becoming a rep, or simply turning up, helps the next person who is targeted.
Your legal protections
There is no single UK law against workplace bullying. What exists instead is a patchwork, and a good deal of it has teeth. The laws below apply in Great Britain.
| The law | What it means for you |
| Equality Act 2010 sections 26, 27, 109 |
Unwanted conduct related to age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation is unlawful harassment if it violates your dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. Punishing you for complaining is victimisation. Employers are liable for what their staff do unless they took all reasonable steps to prevent it. |
| Protection from Harassment Act 1997 | Bans a "course of conduct" – at least two incidents – that the person knows or ought to know amounts to harassment. It does not require a protected characteristic, and it carries both criminal and civil routes, so it can reach severe, persistent bullying that the Equality Act does not. Different sections of the Act apply in Scotland. |
| Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 section 2 |
Employers must ensure your health, safety and welfare at work so far as is reasonably practicable. That covers psychological health, which is why bullying is a health and safety failure and not merely a personality issue. |
| Employment Rights Act 1996 | If bullying is severe enough to destroy trust and confidence and you resign, that can support a constructive dismissal claim. The same Act protects whistleblowers who make a protected disclosure, and protects you from being punished for asserting certain legal rights, such as requesting flexible working. From 1 January 2027, you will be able to claim unfair dismissal after six months in a job instead of two years, and the cap on unfair dismissal compensation will be removed (Acas, no date d). |
| Worker Protection Act 2023 | Since 26 October 2024, employers have had a positive duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their staff, rather than waiting for a complaint. |
| Employment Rights Act 2025 | Phased in across 2026 and 2027. Already in force: since 6 April 2026, disclosing sexual harassment counts as whistleblowing, and statutory sick pay is paid from the first day of illness with the lower earnings limit removed. Since 1 October 2026, most tribunal time limits have been six months, where the relevant date falls on or after that day (Acas, no date d; no date e). From 30 October 2026, the harassment duty rises to "all reasonable steps", and employers become liable for harassment of their staff by third parties such as customers, clients, suppliers and contractors (Acas, no date f). |
| Trade union law | You cannot be dismissed, refused promotion or training, or otherwise treated unfavourably for joining a union or taking part in its activities (GOV.UK, no date a). |
On NDAs and settlement agreements
The Employment Rights Act 2025 contains provisions to void confidentiality clauses used to stop workers speaking about harassment or discrimination. The government has said the aim is to stop victims and witnesses being silenced, while leaving genuine commercial confidentiality intact (GOV.UK, 2025). Acas lists this among the changes expected during 2027, so it is not yet in force. Check the current position before signing anything (Acas, no date d).
If you are offered a settlement agreement, it is not legally binding unless you have had advice from an independent adviser, such as a solicitor or a certified trade union adviser – and the employer normally pays a contribution towards that advice. Take it.
Time limits
If you might want to bring an employment tribunal claim, the deadline matters more than almost anything else. Before you can claim, you usually have to notify Acas, which will offer early conciliation (Acas, no date e).
If you take one thing from this guide
Contact Acas about early conciliation as soon as you think a claim is possible, and do not wait for your grievance to finish. Missing a time limit usually ends a claim no matter how strong it is, and the rules on which limit applies are more technical than they look.
| Situation | Time limit for most claims |
| The act you are complaining about happened before 1 October 2026 | Usually 3 months minus 1 day. Acas says the 3-month limit may still apply where the problem started before that date |
| The act you are complaining about happened on or after 1 October 2026 | 6 months, commonly calculated as 6 months minus 1 day. Which limit applies turns on the legally defined "relevant date", not on when the behaviour began |
| You notify Acas for early conciliation | The clock is paused until early conciliation ends. Early conciliation can last up to 12 weeks |
| You are going through a grievance, disciplinary or appeal | The clock keeps running |
| You work in Northern Ireland | Usually 3 months – see below |
Sources: Acas (no date e; no date h); Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (no date). Some claims have different limits. Where behaviour continues over months and straddles 1 October 2026, working out which limit applies is technical and can turn on a single date – do not calculate it yourself. Contact Acas or an adviser as early as you can. In Scotland, breach of contract claims brought in a tribunal move to the longer limit on 9 November 2026 (Acas, no date d).
What is changing next
30 October 2026 – Employers must take "all reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment, and become liable for harassment of their staff by third parties. Unions gain workplace access rights and stronger rights for reps.
9 November 2026 – Breach of contract claims in Scottish tribunals move to the six-month time limit.
1 January 2027 – Unfair dismissal claims become possible after six months in a job instead of two years, the compensation cap is removed, "fire and rehire" becomes automatically unfair in most cases, and employers must tell workers about their right to join a union.
During 2027 – Confidentiality clauses that stop workers disclosing harassment or discrimination will be void. Menopause and gender pay gap action plans become mandatory for employers with 250 or more workers, and pregnancy and maternity dismissal protections are strengthened.
Source: Acas (no date d). Dates can move, so check before relying on them.
If you work in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland: different law, different bodies
Most of the laws named in this guide, including the Equality Act 2010 and the Employment Rights Act 2025, do not apply in Northern Ireland, which has its own equality and employment legislation. The ideas in part one still apply, and so does the practical advice on records, occupational health, grievances and unions.
• Labour Relations Agency – the Northern Ireland equivalent of Acas, including early conciliation before a claim to the Industrial Tribunal or Fair Employment Tribunal. lra.org.uk
• Equality Commission for Northern Ireland – its Discrimination Advice Officers can help with harassment and discrimination complaints. It says most discrimination claims must be lodged within three months (Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, no date). equalityni.org
• nidirect – your rights on trade union membership in Northern Ireland. nidirect.gov.uk
How to find specialist legal support
• Check for cover you already have. Home insurance, car insurance, packaged bank accounts and credit cards often include legal expenses cover. Union membership usually includes access to legal advice.
• Look for an employment specialist, not a general solicitor. Search the Law Society's directory by area of law, and ask whether the firm offers a fixed fee for a single piece of work, such as reviewing your grievance letter or drafting a tribunal claim form.
• Free help exists. Law Centres, LawWorks clinics, the Free Representation Unit and Advocate can help in some cases, though several need a referral from an adviser or solicitor. In England and Wales, legal aid is not available for most employment cases, but may be for discrimination. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate legal aid systems.
• Go to a specialist body for discrimination. If a protected characteristic is involved, the Equality Advisory and Support Service is the right first call.
Where to get help and support
| Organisation | What they help with | Contact |
| Acas | Free, impartial advice on bullying, grievances and early conciliation | acas.org.uk 0300 123 1100 |
| Citizens Advice | General advice on problems at work and tribunal claims | citizensadvice.org.uk |
| Your trade union (TUC union finder) | Independent advice, accompaniment at hearings, possible legal support | tuc.org.uk |
| Equality Advisory and Support Service | Equality Act problems: discrimination, harassment, victimisation | equalityadvisoryservice.com 0808 800 0082 |
| The Law Society | Finding a solicitor with employment law expertise | lawsociety.org.uk |
| Law Centres Network | Free local legal advice, where a Law Centre covers your area | lawcentres.org.uk |
| LawWorks | Network of free legal advice clinics | lawworks.org.uk |
| Free Representation Unit | Free tribunal representation, mainly London and the South East | thefru.org.uk |
| Advocate | Free help from a volunteer barrister; apply directly or through an adviser, solicitor or MP | weareadvocate.org.uk |
| Employment Lawyers Association (ELIPS) | Free one-off advice for people representing themselves at tribunal | elaweb.org.uk |
| Disability Rights UK | Disability rights information, including at work | disabilityrightsuk.org |
| Working Families & Maternity Action | Pregnancy, maternity, carer and family-related discrimination | workingfamilies.org.uk maternityaction.org.uk |
| Protect | Confidential advice if you are being punished for raising a concern | protect-advice.org.uk 020 3117 2520 |
| Mind | Mental health support and workplace wellbeing contacts | mind.org.uk |
| Samaritans | If you are struggling to cope, day or night | 116 123, free, 24 hours |
Condition-specific employment support
If your treatment at work is connected to a health condition, the charity for that condition is often the fastest route to useful help. They know the adjustments that actually work, the arguments employers tend to make, and in some cases they run their own legal advice or casework service. Several also have direct experience of the Access to Work scheme, which can fund support beyond what an employer is expected to provide.
| Condition | Organisation and what they offer | Contact |
| HIV | National AIDS Trust – free, confidential discrimination casework, including legal advice through partner solicitors, and advocacy on your behalf | nat.org.uk 020 7814 6740 |
| Cancer | Macmillan Cancer Support – employment rights guidance, work and cancer booklets, and a free support line | macmillan.org.uk 0808 808 00 00 |
| Arthritis and MSK conditions | Arthritis UK – workplace rights, disclosure, reasonable adjustments, sick leave and Access to Work | arthritis-uk.org 0800 5200 520 |
| Diabetes | Diabetes UK – work and diabetes guidance, template letters to employers, and a helpline | diabetes.org.uk 0345 123 2399 |
| Epilepsy | Epilepsy Action – advice on work, disclosure, safety assessments and discrimination | epilepsy.org.uk |
| Crohn's, colitis and IBD | Crohn's & Colitis UK – employee guide covering adjustments, sick leave, grievances and tribunals | crohnsandcolitis.org.uk |
| Sight loss | RNIB – equality and employment resources for staying in work after a sight loss diagnosis | rnib.org.uk |
| Multiple sclerosis | MS Legal Advice Line – funded by the MS Society and run by Disability Law Service, free confidential legal advice in England and Wales | dls.org.uk |
| Any disability or long-term condition | Disability Law Service – free employment and discrimination advice from qualified solicitors, plus its WorkRights tool for reasonable adjustments | dls.org.uk 020 7791 9800 (option 3) |
| Mental health | Mind – workplace mental health information and a list of specialist contacts | mind.org.uk |
| Disability, across conditions | Disability Rights UK – rights information and signposting to specialist advice services | disabilityrightsuk.org |
If your condition is not listed, it is still worth checking whether its main UK charity has a work or employment section. Most of the larger ones do, and their guidance is usually more specific than anything your employer will hand you.
Plain-English glossary
| Term | What it means |
| Acas | A free, independent public body that gives advice on work problems and runs early conciliation in Great Britain. |
| Early conciliation | A free service where Acas tries to help you and your employer reach an agreement before a tribunal claim. You usually have to go through it before you can claim. |
| Grievance | A formal complaint you make to your employer about how you are being treated at work. |
| Harassment | In law, unwanted behaviour linked to a protected characteristic that violates your dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. |
| Protected characteristic | One of the personal characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010, such as age, disability, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or gender reassignment. |
| Victimisation | Being treated badly because you complained about discrimination or harassment, or helped someone else who did. |
| Reasonable adjustments | Changes an employer must make so a disabled worker is not put at a disadvantage, such as different hours, equipment or a change in duties. |
| Constructive dismissal | When you resign because your employer's behaviour was so serious that it destroyed the working relationship, and the law treats it as a dismissal. |
| Protected disclosure | The legal term for whistleblowing: reporting certain kinds of wrongdoing in the public interest. You are protected from being punished for it. |
| Occupational health | Doctors and nurses who advise on how work affects health, and how health affects work. |
| Subject access request | A request for a copy of the personal information an organisation holds about you. |
| Settlement agreement | A legal agreement, often including a payment, in which you give up the right to bring certain claims. It is only legally binding if you have had advice from an independent adviser, such as a solicitor. |
| Employment tribunal | The independent body that decides most work-related legal claims in Great Britain. |
| Right to be accompanied | Your right to bring a colleague or trade union rep to a formal grievance or disciplinary meeting. |
Frequently asked questions
Is workplace bullying illegal in the UK?
There is no single law against bullying. But much of it is covered by other laws – for example, bullying linked to a protected characteristic can be unlawful harassment under the Equality Act 2010, and persistent harassment can fall under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. See Your legal protections.
What if my manager is the one bullying me?
Acas says you can raise it with someone else, such as another manager or HR, and that your organisation's policy may say who (Acas, no date i).
Do I have to raise a grievance before making a claim?
It is not a legal requirement, but a tribunal can cut your compensation by up to 25% if you unreasonably fail to follow the Acas Code (Acas, no date b). In most cases it is sensible to raise one. Remember the tribunal clock keeps running while you do.
How long do I have to make a tribunal claim?
For most claims, three months minus one day if the act you are complaining about happened before 1 October 2026, and six months if it happened on or after that date. Contacting Acas for early conciliation pauses the clock (Acas, no date e). The rules are technical, so get advice rather than working the date out yourself. See Time limits.
Can I be sacked for joining a union?
No. Your employer must not dismiss you, select you for redundancy or treat you unfavourably because you join a union or take part in its activities (GOV.UK, no date a).
Can my employer read my occupational health report?
Only with your consent. You have the right to see the report before it is released and can refuse to let it be released (Acas, no date g).
Should I resign?
Get specialist advice first. Whether a resignation counts as constructive dismissal depends on the details, and resigning ends your income. Advice before you act keeps your options open.
This is rarely the work of one unusually cruel individual. It is a group doing small, deniable things because someone with authority made it feel reasonable. Which means it can be unmade the same way – usually by someone ordinary deciding not to go along with it.
References
Acas (no date a) Bullying at work. Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/bullying-at-work (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Acas (no date b) Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures. Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/acas-code-of-practice-on-disciplinary-and-grievance-procedures/html (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Acas (no date c) Consultation on occupational health – Acas response. Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/consultation-on-occupational-health-acas-response (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Acas (no date d) Employment Rights Act 2025. Last updated 1 October 2026. Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/employment-rights-act-2025 (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Acas (no date e) Employment tribunal time limits. Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/employment-tribunal-time-limits (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Acas (no date f) Harassment law changes: Employment Rights Act 2025. Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/employment-rights-act-2025/harassment-law-changes (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Acas (no date g) Helping SMEs understand occupational health. Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/helping-smes-understand-occupational-health (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Acas (no date h) How the process works: early conciliation. Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/early-conciliation/how-early-conciliation-works (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Acas (no date i) If you think you're being bullied. Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/bullying-at-work/if-you-think-youre-being-bullied (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Acas (no date j) Using occupational health to help someone at work. Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/using-occupational-health-at-work/using-occupational-health-to-help-someone-at-work (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Acas (2025) How prevalent is individual conflict at work in Great Britain in 2025? Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/research-and-commentary/workplace-conflict/prevalence-of-conflict-at-work/report (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Acas (2026) Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures (draft). Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/about-us/acas-consultations/code-of-practice-disciplinary-grievance-2026/draft-code (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Arthritis UK (no date) Workplace rights. Available at: https://www.arthritis-uk.org/information-and-support/living-with-arthritis/work-benefits-and-finances/work-and-arthritis/workplace-rights/ (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Asch, S.E. (1956) 'Studies of independence and conformity: I. A minority of one against a unanimous majority', Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 70(9), pp. 1–70. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/h0093718 (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Bunce, A., Hashemi, L., Clark, C., Stansfeld, S., Myers, C.-A. and McManus, S. (2024) 'Prevalence and nature of workplace bullying and harassment and associations with mental health conditions in England: a cross-sectional probability sample survey', BMC Public Health, 24(1), 1147. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18614-7 (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Community (no date) How long after joining a trade union can I get help? Available at: https://community-tu.org/join/frequently-asked-questions/how-long-after-joining-a-trade-union-can-i-get-help/ (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Crohn's & Colitis UK (no date) Employment: a guide for employees. Available at: https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/info-support/information-about-crohns-and-colitis/all-information-about-crohns-and-colitis/employment-and-education/employment-a-guide-for-employees (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Diabetes UK (no date) Work and diabetes. Available at: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/living-with-diabetes/life-with-diabetes/employment (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Disability Law Service (no date) Employment. Available at: https://dls.org.uk/our-services/employment/ (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Disability Rights UK (no date) Getting advice. Available at: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/resources/getting-advice (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Epilepsy Action (no date) Work. Available at: https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/living/work (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (no date) Make a complaint: employment discrimination. Available at: https://equalityni.org/your-rights/making-a-complaint-employment (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
GOV.UK (no date a) Joining a trade union: trade union membership – your employment rights. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/join-trade-union/trade-union-membership-your-employment-rights (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
GOV.UK (no date b) Workplace bullying and harassment. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-bullying-and-harassment (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
GOV.UK (2025) Ban on controversial NDAs silencing abuse. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ban-on-controversial-ndas-silencing-abuse (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Haslam, S.A. and Reicher, S.D. (2012) 'Contesting the "nature" of conformity: what Milgram and Zimbardo's studies really show', PLoS Biology, 10(11), e1001426. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001426 (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Health and Safety Executive (no date) Management Standards – Relationships. Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards/relationships.htm (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Information Commissioner's Office (no date) Subject access request Q and As for employers. Available at: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/employment/subject-access-request-q-and-as-for-employers (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Labour Relations Agency (no date) Harassment and bullying in the workplace. Available at: https://www.lra.org.uk/resources/advisory-guide/harassment-and-bullying-workplace (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Macmillan Cancer Support (no date) Understanding cancer and employment rights. Available at: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/work-and-cancer/cancer-and-employment-rights (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Mind (no date) Workplace mental health: useful contacts. Available at: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/workplace-mental-health/useful-contacts/ (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
National AIDS Trust (no date) Discrimination advice and support service. Available at: https://nat.org.uk/about-hiv/discrimination-advice-and-support-service/ (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
nidirect (no date) Trade union membership: your employment rights. Available at: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/trade-union-membership-your-employment-rights (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
RNIB (no date) Equality and employment. Available at: https://www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/equality-and-employment/ (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Trades Union Congress (no date) The right to join a trade union. Available at: https://www.tuc.org.uk/research-analysis/reports/right-join-trade-union (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Trades Union Congress (2024) Bullying, harassment and discrimination of LGBT people in the workplace. Available at: https://www.tuc.org.uk/research-analysis/reports/bullying-harassment-and-discrimination-lgbt-people-workplace (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Verkuil, B., Atasayi, S. and Molendijk, M.L. (2015) 'Workplace bullying and mental health: a meta-analysis on cross-sectional and longitudinal data', PLoS ONE, 10(8), e0135225. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0135225 (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Legislation
Equality Act 2010, c. 15, s. 26. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/26 (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, c. 37, s. 2. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/section/2 (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Protection from Harassment Act 1997, c. 40, s. 1. Available at: https://legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1997/40/section/1 (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023, c. 51, s. 1. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/51/section/1 (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Study details for Bunce et al. (2024), Haslam and Reicher (2012) and Verkuil, Atasayi and Molendijk (2015) were retrieved via PubMed.
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Important medical disclaimer
The content provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your GP, psychiatrist or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Never start, stop or change a prescribed medicine without speaking to your prescriber first.
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