Anti-Bullying Policy
An Anti-Bullying Policy template that defines bullying, shows examples, and lays out reporting, investigation, and discipline steps. Use it to give employees a clear path to raise concerns and give managers a consistent response.
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Overview
This Anti-Bullying Policy template sets out what bullying is, what it is not, how employees report concerns, how the company investigates, and what corrective action may follow. It is written for workplaces that want a clear conduct policy that can be inserted into an employee handbook or used as a standalone policy document.
Use this template when you need a consistent response to repeated intimidation, humiliation, exclusion, verbal abuse, or other conduct that undermines a respectful workplace. It is especially useful when complaints may overlap with harassment, discrimination, retaliation, leave issues, or accommodation requests and you need a documented process for triage and escalation. The policy also helps managers understand when to involve HR instead of trying to resolve the issue informally.
Do not use this template as a substitute for a harassment policy, a complaint procedure for protected activity, or a workplace violence plan. It should not be written so broadly that it chills protected concerted activity under the NLRA, requests for reasonable accommodation under the ADA, or good-faith complaints about pay, leave, or safety. The strongest version of this template includes specific reporting channels, investigation ownership, confidentiality limits, anti-retaliation language, and a discipline section that matches the severity of the conduct.
Standards & compliance context
- The policy should be written so it does not restrict protected concerted activity under the NLRA or retaliation-protected complaints about wages, hours, or working conditions.
- If bullying overlaps with harassment or discrimination, the response should align with Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, and EEOC anti-retaliation principles.
- When a complaint involves a request for accommodation, the policy should preserve the ADA interactive process and not treat the request itself as misconduct.
- If the issue touches leave, attendance, or scheduling, the policy should not conflict with FMLA rights or FLSA overtime and classification rules.
- State law overlays may require added protections or reporting steps, including California, New York whistleblower protections, Illinois rest-and-meal rules, and Washington paid sick leave rules where relevant.
General regulatory context for orientation only — verify current requirements with counsel or the relevant agency before relying on this template for compliance.
What's inside this template
Purpose
Explains why the policy exists and what workplace problem it is meant to prevent.
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This policy establishes expectations for respectful workplace conduct and prohibits bullying behavior that interferes with work performance, employee well-being, or a safe and productive work environment. It also explains reporting, investigation, and corrective action procedures. This policy is intended to support compliance with applicable laws, including **Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964**, the **NLRA Section 7** protections for concerted activity, and any applicable state or local anti-retaliation or workplace conduct requirements.
Scope
Defines who and what the policy applies to, including employees, managers, contractors, and work-related settings.
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This policy applies to all employees, managers, supervisors, officers, contractors, interns, temporary workers, and any other individuals performing work on behalf of the company. It applies to conduct that occurs: - On company premises - During working time or work-related events - In remote or hybrid work settings - In communications using company systems, personal devices used for work, email, chat, text, video meetings, or social media when work-related **California employees:** This policy must be applied consistently with California anti-discrimination, anti-retaliation, and workplace safety obligations, and any applicable local requirements. **New York employees:** Reports involving whistleblower concerns must be handled consistently with **NY Labor Law Section 740** where applicable.
Definitions
Sets the meaning of bullying and related terms so complaints are evaluated consistently.
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**Bullying** means repeated, unreasonable, or unwelcome behavior that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, demeaning, humiliating, or abusive. Examples may include: - Yelling, insulting, or using demeaning language - Spreading rumors or intentionally excluding someone from work-related information - Public criticism designed to embarrass rather than correct performance - Threatening job status, assignments, or schedules to intimidate - Sabotaging work, withholding needed information, or setting someone up to fail - Repeated offensive jokes, gestures, or electronic messages Bullying does **not** include: - Good-faith performance management - Constructive feedback delivered professionally - A documented warning, coaching, or a PIP based on legitimate business needs - Lawful discipline or supervision - Protected concerted activity under the NLRA **Retaliation** includes any adverse action taken because an employee made a good-faith report, participated in an investigation, or engaged in protected activity.
Policy Statement
States the organization’s rule against bullying and the expectation of respectful conduct.
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Bullying is prohibited. Employees must treat coworkers, customers, vendors, and visitors with professionalism and respect. Managers and supervisors have a heightened responsibility to model appropriate conduct, intervene when they observe bullying, and escalate concerns promptly. The company will not tolerate retaliation against any person who reports bullying in good faith, participates in an investigation, requests a reasonable accommodation, or otherwise engages in protected activity.
Reporting Procedure
Shows employees exactly how to raise concerns and where to go if the supervisor is involved.
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Employees should report bullying as soon as possible, even if they are unsure whether the conduct violates this policy. Reports may be made to: - A direct manager, unless the manager is involved in the concern - HR - A designated compliance or ethics contact - An anonymous reporting channel, if available Reports should include, when possible: - Names of the people involved - Dates, times, and locations - A description of what happened - Witnesses, messages, screenshots, or other relevant evidence Employees are encouraged to report in good faith. False reports made knowingly or maliciously may result in discipline. If the concern involves a manager, HR, or a conflict of interest, the report must be escalated to an alternate reporting channel.
Investigation Procedure
Describes how complaints are reviewed, documented, and resolved in a fair and timely way.
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The company will review reports promptly and conduct a good-faith, impartial investigation as appropriate. Investigation steps may include: - Acknowledging the report and assessing immediate risk - Interviewing the reporting employee, the accused employee, and witnesses - Reviewing documents, messages, recordings, schedules, or system logs - Taking interim measures when needed to prevent further harm - Documenting findings and determining whether the policy was violated Investigations will be handled as confidentially as possible, consistent with the need to conduct a thorough review and comply with legal obligations. The company may adjust reporting lines, schedules, work locations, or access to preserve safety and prevent retaliation during the investigation.
Corrective Action and Discipline
Explains the range of responses available when the facts support corrective action.
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If the company determines that bullying or retaliation occurred, it will take corrective action based on the severity, frequency, impact, prior history, and any legal or contractual obligations. Corrective action may include: - Coaching or counseling - A documented warning - A performance improvement plan (PIP) where appropriate - Mandatory training - Removal from supervisory duties - Suspension or termination of employment - Other remedial measures reasonably necessary to stop the conduct The company may also take action when conduct does not rise to the level of bullying but still violates standards of professional conduct.
Roles and Responsibilities
Assigns ownership so employees, managers, HR, and the policy holder know their duties.
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**Employees** must treat others respectfully, report concerns in good faith, and cooperate with investigations. **Managers and supervisors** must address concerns promptly, avoid retaliation, and escalate reports to HR or Compliance. **HR / Compliance** must review reports, coordinate investigations, maintain documentation, and recommend corrective action. **Policy holder** is responsible for maintaining this policy, ensuring training is completed, and reviewing the policy at least annually.
Compliance, Exceptions, and Legal Protections
Connects the policy to anti-retaliation rules, protected activity, and jurisdiction-specific legal overlays.
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This policy does not restrict employees from engaging in protected activity, including concerted activity under **NLRA Section 7**, reporting discrimination or harassment, requesting a reasonable accommodation through the interactive process, or exercising rights under applicable wage-and-hour, leave, safety, or whistleblower laws. Nothing in this policy should be interpreted to interfere with rights under the **FLSA**, **FMLA**, **ADA**, **EEOC**-enforced laws, OSHA protections, or applicable state laws. Where a state or local law provides greater protection or imposes additional requirements, the company will follow the law that provides the greater employee protection.
Review and Revision
Keeps the policy current by requiring periodic review, version control, and updates after legal or operational changes.
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This policy will be reviewed at least annually and updated as needed to reflect legal, operational, or organizational changes. Any revisions must be approved by the policy holder, HR leadership, and legal counsel as appropriate.
How to use this template
- 1. Add the policy holder name, effective_date, version, review_frequency, applicable_jurisdictions, and applicable_roles before publishing the policy.
- 2. Customize the definitions and examples so they match your workplace, including conduct that occurs in person, by email, in chat tools, or during remote meetings.
- 3. Assign reporting channels to HR, a manager, a hotline, or another designated contact, and make sure employees know how to report concerns in good faith.
- 4. Train managers to document complaints, preserve evidence, avoid retaliation, and escalate any matter that may involve harassment, discrimination, accommodation, or safety concerns.
- 5. Run investigations using a consistent intake, witness interview, findings, and closure process, then apply corrective action or a PIP when the facts support it.
- 6. Review the policy after each major complaint trend, legal update, or organizational change and revise the document before the next annual cycle.
Best practices
- Define bullying with concrete behaviors such as repeated insults, public humiliation, threats, sabotage, or deliberate exclusion, not just general disrespect.
- State clearly that one-off conflicts, lawful performance management, and good-faith discipline are not bullying when they are handled professionally and without retaliation.
- Include multiple reporting paths so employees can bypass a direct supervisor when the supervisor is involved in the complaint.
- Tell investigators to preserve messages, screenshots, attendance records, and witness notes as soon as a complaint is received.
- Separate bullying complaints from protected activity issues so the policy does not interfere with NLRA rights, ADA requests, FMLA leave, or wage complaints.
- Use documented warning language and a PIP only when the facts support performance or conduct correction, not as a substitute for investigation.
- Apply the same investigation standard to in-person, remote, and hybrid conduct, including chats, video calls, and collaboration tools.
What this template typically catches
Issues teams running this template most often surface in practice:
Common use cases
Frequently asked questions
What does this Anti-Bullying Policy template cover?
It covers what bullying means in the workplace, examples of prohibited conduct, how employees report concerns, how the company investigates, and what corrective action can follow. It also includes roles for managers, HR, and the policy holder so the process is not left to ad-hoc judgment. The template is designed to stand alone as a policy page, not as a training handout.
Who should use this policy template?
HR teams, people operations leaders, and policy holders who need a written workplace conduct policy can use it. It is especially useful for organizations that want a clear escalation path for employee complaints before issues become harassment, retaliation, or morale problems. Managers can also use it as a reference for what to do when they witness or receive a report.
How often should this policy be reviewed?
Review it at least annually, and sooner if there is a complaint trend, a legal update, or a change in reporting channels. Annual review helps keep the policy aligned with current anti-retaliation practices, state law overlays, and internal investigation procedures. The template includes an effective_date, review_frequency, and version field so updates are easy to track.
Does bullying have a specific legal definition under federal law?
Not always. In the U.S., bullying is often addressed through broader laws and policies rather than a single federal anti-bullying statute, so this template ties conduct to related obligations under Title VII, ADA, ADEA, NLRA, and anti-retaliation rules where relevant. It also helps separate general bullying from unlawful harassment, discrimination, or interference with protected concerted activity.
How does this policy handle protected activity and legal rights?
It should make clear that the policy does not restrict protected concerted activity under the NLRA, requests for reasonable accommodation under the ADA, leave under the FMLA, or complaints about wage and hour issues under the FLSA. It should also state that reports made in good faith are protected from retaliation. That distinction helps prevent a policy from being used to silence legitimate workplace concerns.
What are the most common mistakes when rolling out an anti-bullying policy?
Common mistakes include defining bullying too vaguely, failing to explain how to report anonymously or confidentially, and skipping the investigation timeline. Another frequent gap is not stating that discipline may range from coaching to termination depending on severity and prior warnings. The policy also needs manager training so complaints are escalated instead of handled informally and inconsistently.
Can this template be customized for different jurisdictions?
Yes. The template should be tailored for applicable jurisdictions and any state-specific overlays, such as California, New York, Illinois, or Washington, depending on where employees work. You can also adjust the reporting channels, investigation ownership, and discipline language to match your internal HR structure and local legal review.
How does this differ from an ad-hoc complaint process?
An ad-hoc process depends on who receives the complaint and can lead to inconsistent outcomes, missed documentation, and retaliation risk. This template creates a repeatable procedure for reporting, triage, investigation, and corrective action. It also makes expectations clearer for employees, managers, and HR, which is important when a complaint overlaps with harassment, discrimination, or accommodation issues.
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