Bullying As A Workplace Hazard
Bullying causes serious harm. Learn how to identify and manage bullying risks at work with Foremind.
Download our guide to managing your teams mental health
Bullying is a psychological and physical hazard in itself. Workplace bullying is repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or a group of workers that creates a risk to health and safety.
Bullying is difficult to identify as it is often done in a way that prevents the perpetrator from being caught, that is why it is critical to have processes in place to make sure that a rogue manager can’t create issues and block things from being reported.
Let’s Look at an Example
Ben is a new apprentice who experiences threats, name-calling, physical harm as part of a “hazing” ritual when he starts his first job. Ben experiences extreme anxiety, unable to sleep and flashbacks causing him to be unable to work.
Types of Bullying At Work
Verbal Abuse
This includes shouting, ridicule, name-calling, or persistent criticism that undermines a worker’s confidence and creates a hostile environment.
Social Exclusion
Bullying can also take the form of isolating someone from team activities, withholding information they need to do their job, or deliberately excluding them from workplace communication.
Cyberbullying
Harassment or intimidation through digital channels such as emails, text messages, or social media can be just as damaging as in-person abuse and is increasingly common in modern workplaces.
Work Sabotage
Some bullies intentionally set workers up to fail — for example, by giving unrealistic deadlines, excessive workloads, or deliberately withholding key resources and support.
Organisational Responsibilities
Under WHS laws, employers have a duty to identify and manage psychosocial hazards in the workplace, including bullying.
This means conducting regular risk assessments to understand potential triggers, such as poor leadership practices, high workloads, or unclear role expectations.
Organisations should also develop and maintain a clear Bullying and Harassment Policy that outlines acceptable behaviour, reporting channels, and consequences for misconduct.
Training plays a crucial role — both leaders and employees need to understand what constitutes bullying, how to respond appropriately, and how to foster a respectful workplace culture.
In addition, employers must ensure there are fair, transparent, and confidential reporting and investigation procedures in place so that workers feel safe coming forward with concerns.
By embedding these measures into everyday practice, organisations not only meet their legal obligations but also create safer, healthier, and more inclusive work environments.
Answers to the frequently asked questions.
Our last EAP was barely touched. Why would this be different?+
Most EAPs go unused because of how they're accessed, not because staff don't need them. Phoning a stranger, explaining yourself, then waiting weeks is enough to stop most people before they start. Foremind removes all three steps: staff see real counsellor profiles, pick someone themselves, and book the same day.
If you already have a provider, the question worth asking is what your current utilisation is. Most traditional EAPs sit in low single digits, which means you're paying for cover your people aren't reaching. If yours is being used, staff can get seen quickly, and it covers your psychosocial obligations, there's no reason to move. If not, it's worth knowing what you're getting for the spend.
Do you offer 24/7 support?+
Yes. A 24/7 after-hours crisis line means staff can reach someone immediately at any hour, including nights and weekends.
Counselling appointments are also available outside standard business hours, so shift-based and on-call teams aren't limited to a nine-to-five window. Those are two different things, and it's worth checking any provider offers both rather than just the crisis line.
Are your EAP counsellors based in Australia?+
Yes. Every practitioner on the platform holds current membership with an Australian professional body and practises under Australian standards, codes of ethics and disciplinary frameworks. There are no offshore call centres.
Practitioners hold membership with the Australian Counselling Association, the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, or the Australian Association of Social Workers, along with a current Working with Children or Vulnerable People Check.
How much does an EAP cost?+
Pricing is usually per employee per month, based on total headcount rather than how many people use the service. Costs vary widely depending on whether sessions are bundled in and whether compliance tooling is included.
A more useful comparison is cost per employee who actually uses it. An EAP with 2% utilisation can work out several times more expensive per person helped than one that gets used. Foremind offers pay-as-you-go, inclusive session plans and compliance-inclusive plans, with discounted pricing for not-for-profits and charities.
For full breakdown of our plans, see our EAP pricing page or request a quote for a tailored proposal.
What information does an employer receive about EAP usage?+
Nothing that could identify anyone. All counselling is completely confidential and all reporting is anonymous - you'll never see who booked, when, or what was discussed.
What you do see is the aggregated picture: how many people are using it, what psychosocial risks are prevalent in the business, and which teams are under pressure. Enough to know the investment is working and where to act, never enough to identify a person. Reporting thresholds mean small teams can't be reverse-engineered from the data.
Does having an EAP meet an employer's psychosocial duty of care?+
No. An EAP is a control measure, and a valuable one, but it only addresses harm after it has occurred. It doesn't identify hazards, assess risk, or evidence that controls are working.
Australian WHS law requires you to identify psychosocial hazards, assess the risk, control it so far as is reasonably practicable, and review whether those controls are working — with documented evidence at each step. Offering counselling on its own leaves three of those four steps undocumented.
Foremind covers both in one platform. See how the compliance side works in our product tour.