ABSTRACT
A bullying and harassment policy is the employer’s statement of intent and a summary of processes as regards bullying and harassment in their organisation. The role of the policy in the management of workplace bullying is central to all concerned. It is a mistake to think that a policy is used only in situations of formal complaint. All policies outline formal procedures, but an effective policy has a far wider purpose and includes, for example, guiding statements about how the organisation intends to prevent bullying and deal with bullying if it occurs. As such, the policy has two immediate roles-as a statement of intent, and also as a document to guide all stakeholders through the formal and informal processes connected to bullying prevention and intervention (Richards and Daley, 2003).
