Workplace Bullying Checklist: What You Need to Know

Not sure whether what you're dealing with counts as workplace bullying, or whether you're ready to make a formal complaint? Work through this checklist — it's built from the criteria Australian workplaces and the Fair Work Commission actually use.

Checklist: Does This Meet the Definition?

• Has the behaviour happened more than once, or is it clearly part of an ongoing pattern?
• Would a reasonable person consider the behaviour unreasonable in the circumstances?
• Has it created, or could it reasonably create, a risk to your health and safety?
• Is it separate from legitimate management action carried out in a reasonable way — for example, fair performance feedback or a properly conducted disciplinary process?
• Does it involve one or more of: verbal abuse, exclusion, humiliation in front of others, unreasonable workload, withholding necessary information, sabotage, or intimidation?

If you've ticked most of these, what you're dealing with likely meets the general definition of workplace bullying used across Australian workplaces and by the Fair Work Commission. A single unpleasant incident that doesn't repeat usually falls outside this definition — unless it's serious enough on its own, such as a threat or physical intimidation.

Checklist: Evidence You Should Be Gathering

Related: Workplace Bullying - Essential Steps for Documentation and Reporting.

• Date, time, and location for every incident
• Names of anyone involved and any witnesses
• What was said or done, as close to a direct quote as you can manage
• How it affected you — stress, sick leave, avoiding tasks, sleep problems
• Copies of relevant emails, messages, rosters, or performance reviews
• Medical certificates or notes, if your health has been affected

Log each incident as close to the time it happens as you can — a tool like Bully Log is designed to make this fast, with a timestamped entry rather than a memory reconstructed weeks later. This documentation matters at every stage that follows, from an informal conversation with your manager through to a formal complaint or a Fair Work Commission application.

Checklist: Before You Report It Formally

• Have you read your workplace's bullying or grievance policy?
• Do you know who to report to if your direct manager is part of the problem?
• Have you organised your documentation chronologically, with the most serious or clearest pattern visible?
• Have you decided what outcome you're seeking — an apology, a change in behaviour, a formal investigation, a change of team?
• Do you have someone — a union rep, trusted colleague, or support person — who can go with you to meetings if needed?

Checklist: Signs the Internal Process Isn't Working

See also: Workplace Bullying - Tips and Strategies to Stay Safe.

• Your report hasn't been acknowledged within a reasonable timeframe
• The person you reported is still involved in decisions about you or your complaint
• The behaviour continues or worsens after you've reported it
• You've been told to "just let it go" or that you're "too sensitive" without any real investigation
• There's been no communication about what happens next

If several of these apply, it's reasonable to escalate — to a more senior manager, HR above the original contact, your union, or the Fair Work Ombudsman for general advice on your rights.

Checklist: When to Consider the Fair Work Commission

• You're a worker covered by the national workplace relations system
• The bullying is ongoing, not a one-off, historical incident
• You've generally tried to resolve it internally first, where reasonably possible
• You have documented evidence of the pattern and its impact

The Commission can issue orders to stop the bullying going forward — it doesn't award compensation for bullying claims specifically, and it's most effective while the behaviour is current rather than long resolved. This checklist is general information, not legal advice; for guidance on your specific situation, contact your union, the Fair Work Ombudsman, or an employment lawyer.

Checklist: Looking After Yourself Through the Process

• Have you told someone you trust what's happening, rather than carrying it alone?
• Do you know whether your workplace has an Employee Assistance Program?
• Are you keeping your documentation somewhere separate from work systems?
• Have you set boundaries on when you check work messages, if the situation is affecting your evenings or sleep?

Going through a bullying complaint is genuinely draining, even when you're clearly in the right. Ticking off these practical steps won't remove the stress, but it will put you in the strongest possible position to have the situation taken seriously and resolved.