Cyber Harassment

Cyber harassment is harassing conduct carried out through digital channels. Messaging apps, email, internal platforms, social media and personal devices.

The complication is control. A great deal of it happens on channels the employer does not own, outside working hours, on personal phones. Employers often conclude the conduct is outside their reach.

That conclusion is unsafe. Where the conduct is connected to employment, arising between colleagues and affecting the working relationship, it can still engage the employer’s duties, whichever platform carried it.

Two things follow. Your policy has to name digital conduct explicitly rather than relying on general behaviour clauses. And staff need to know that screenshots are evidence, since digital harassment leaves a record most other forms do not.

Treat a personal-device channel used for work as a work channel. The Australian Human Rights Commission covers workplace harassment duties. This is general information rather than legal advice.

See Sentrient’s internet and social media course and workplace bullying course.