Anti-Bullying & Anti-Harassment Activities

• All breakout activities for today can be found on this page.
• Please keep the tab open for ease.
• Scroll to each new activity when the time comes.
• Please make sure that all voices are heard and select a speaker to share a summary of what has been discussed. 

Breakout Activity One: Spot the Risk Before the Incident

1. Team 1 (Room 1), Team 2 (Room 2) and so on

2. Your leader for this activity will be the person who was born in the earliest month of the year

3. Your leader will select a speaker for the team, who will share a brief summary of what was discussed. If you prefer not to speak, choose another colleague

4. Your leader will guide the team through the questions below

5. Make sure that all voices are heard - consciously include all members of the team!

Reflect and Discuss:

Team 1 (Room 1)

The Work Social Event

Your organisation is hosting an evening celebration at a local venue. Alcohol will be available, managers and colleagues will be socialising informally, and some people will be meeting outside their usual working environment.

Group discussion questions

What could go wrong?

What foreseeable risks of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment or inappropriate behaviour might exist?

Who might be particularly vulnerable?

Think about power, isolation, employment status, personal circumstances and intersecting identities.

What could we do before anything happens?

Identify practical safeguards, clearer expectations or changes that could reduce the risks.

How would someone raise a concern?

What would make it easier and safer to speak up, seek support or report inappropriate behaviour?

Who needs to take responsibility?

What should individuals, managers and the organisation do to prevent harm?

Consider: Alcohol, social pressure, personal boundaries, unwanted attention, transport home and power dynamics.

Team 2 (Room 2)

The Conference

Several colleagues are attending a two-day professional conference. The programme includes networking events, evening receptions and opportunities to meet influential people from other organisations.

Group discussion questions

What could go wrong?

What foreseeable risks of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment or inappropriate behaviour might exist?

Who might be particularly vulnerable?

Think about power, isolation, employment status, personal circumstances and intersecting identities.

What could we do before anything happens?

Identify practical safeguards, clearer expectations or changes that could reduce the risks.

How would someone raise a concern?

What would make it easier and safer to speak up, seek support or report inappropriate behaviour?

Who needs to take responsibility?

What should individuals, managers and the organisation do to prevent harm?

Consider: Professional influence, networking pressure, inappropriate comments, blurred boundaries and reporting concerns about external attendees.

Team 3 (Room 3)

Work-Related Travel

Two colleagues, one senior and one junior, are travelling together for an overnight work assignment. They will share transport, attend meetings and stay in the same hotel.

Group discussion questions

What could go wrong?

What foreseeable risks of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment or inappropriate behaviour might exist?

Who might be particularly vulnerable?

Think about power, isolation, employment status, personal circumstances and intersecting identities.

What could we do before anything happens?

Identify practical safeguards, clearer expectations or changes that could reduce the risks.

How would someone raise a concern?

What would make it easier and safer to speak up, seek support or report inappropriate behaviour?

Who needs to take responsibility?

What should individuals, managers and the organisation do to prevent harm?

Consider: Power imbalances, privacy, accommodation arrangements, social expectations, personal boundaries and access to support away from the workplace.

Team 4 (Room 4)

Teams and WhatsApp

A team uses Microsoft Teams for work-related discussions and has an informal WhatsApp group. Messages are sometimes shared outside working hours, including jokes, memes and personal comments.

Group discussion questions

What could go wrong?

What foreseeable risks of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment or inappropriate behaviour might exist?

Who might be particularly vulnerable?

Think about power, isolation, employment status, personal circumstances and intersecting identities.

What could we do before anything happens?

Identify practical safeguards, clearer expectations or changes that could reduce the risks.

How would someone raise a concern?

What would make it easier and safer to speak up, seek support or report inappropriate behaviour?

Who needs to take responsibility?

What should individuals, managers and the organisation do to prevent harm?

Consider: Inappropriate content, exclusion, confidentiality, out-of-hours contact, screenshots and unclear digital boundaries.

Team 5 (Room 5)

Late or Lone Working

Some colleagues regularly work late or alone, occasionally alongside managers, contractors or colleagues they do not know particularly well. There is limited supervision outside normal working hours.

Group discussion questions

What could go wrong?

What foreseeable risks of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment or inappropriate behaviour might exist?

Who might be particularly vulnerable?

Think about power, isolation, employment status, personal circumstances and intersecting identities.

What could we do before anything happens?

Identify practical safeguards, clearer expectations or changes that could reduce the risks.

How would someone raise a concern?

What would make it easier and safer to speak up, seek support or report inappropriate behaviour?

Who needs to take responsibility?

What should individuals, managers and the organisation do to prevent harm?

Consider: Isolation, unwanted attention, access to assistance, power imbalances, reporting routes and personal safety.

Team 6 (Room 6)

Customer or Visitor-Facing Environment

Employees regularly interact with customers, visitors, service users and external stakeholders. Some interactions are challenging, and colleagues are expected to remain professional and helpful.

Group discussion questions

What could go wrong?

What foreseeable risks of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment or inappropriate behaviour might exist?

Who might be particularly vulnerable?

Think about power, isolation, employment status, personal circumstances and intersecting identities.

What could we do before anything happens?

Identify practical safeguards, clearer expectations or changes that could reduce the risks.

How would someone raise a concern?

What would make it easier and safer to speak up, seek support or report inappropriate behaviour?

Who needs to take responsibility?

What should individuals, managers and the organisation do to prevent harm?

Consider: Offensive comments, sexual harassment, aggression, repeat visitors, pressure to tolerate behaviour and management support.

Possible Preventative Measures

Work social events

Set clear conduct expectations; make alcohol-free choices available; plan safe transport options; identify who can respond to concerns; avoid pressuring anyone to attend or participate.

Conferences

Brief attendees on boundaries and expectations; provide a named support contact; agree reporting routes for concerns involving external delegates; ensure professional networking does not depend on tolerating inappropriate behaviour.

Work travel

Arrange appropriate accommodation and transport; respect privacy and personal boundaries; make expectations around socialising explicit; provide independent routes to seek help while away.

Teams and WhatsApp

Clarify acceptable digital conduct; address inappropriate content promptly; set boundaries for out-of-hours messages; avoid excluding colleagues from work-related information; provide reporting and moderation arrangements.

Late or lone working

Assess relevant risks; use check-in procedures; ensure access to help; establish clear escalation routes and appropriate supervision; make it safe to raise concerns about colleagues or contractors.

Customer or visitor-facing settings

Communicate conduct expectations to visitors; train and empower staff to seek help; establish manager intervention and escalation procedures; take repeat incidents seriously and avoid treating abuse as part of the job.

Key takeaway: Respectful workplaces are created through proactive choices, not simply responses after harm has occurred.

Legal context (Great Britain): Employers have a proactive duty under the Equality Act 2010 to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees. This activity is educational and does not replace an organisation-specific risk assessment or legal advice.

David E. Hull-Watters · People & Culture Partner | Inclusion & Wellbeing Specialist
www.inclusionconsultant.co.uk · © 2026 David E. Hull-Watters