Anti-Bullying & Anti-Harassment:

Creating Respectful, Safe and Inclusive Workplace Cultures

Recognising inappropriate behaviour, preventing harassment and building the confidence to create safer, more respectful workplaces.

Creating a Culture Where Respect Is More Than a Policy

Where does workplace banter end and bullying or harassment begin? Who gets to decide when that line has been crossed? And how confident are we in recognising and challenging inappropriate behaviour before it causes harm?

Bullying and harassment don’t always begin with something obvious. Sometimes it’s a passing comment, an inappropriate joke, repeated exclusion, unwanted attention or behaviour that goes unchallenged because “that’s just how things are around here.”

What one person considers harmless fun, another may experience very differently. And when power, influence or workplace relationships are involved, speaking up isn’t always easy.

Creating a respectful workplace requires more than having the right policies or responding appropriately when something goes wrong. It means recognising risks, challenging assumptions, setting clear expectations and ensuring that people feel safe, respected and supported.

What we repeatedly tolerate, excuse or ignore can gradually become part of workplace culture.

About the Workshop

This interactive and thought-provoking workshop supports colleagues, managers and leaders to better understand bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and other inappropriate workplace behaviours, while developing the confidence and practical skills to recognise, challenge and prevent them.

Through facilitated discussions, realistic workplace scenarios, reflective activities and collaborative learning, participants explore how everyday behaviours, organisational culture, unconscious bias and power dynamics can influence people’s experiences at work.

The session goes beyond simply understanding legal definitions and organisational policies. It encourages participants to consider what respectful behaviour looks like in practice, why people may hesitate to raise concerns and how individuals and organisations can take meaningful preventative action.

Importantly, the workshop provides a supportive environment for exploring sensitive subjects, challenging assumptions and developing greater confidence in having potentially difficult conversations.

Understanding Changing Employment Rights and Employer Responsibilities

Workplace expectations and employment legislation are evolving, with an increasing emphasis on prevention, early intervention and organisational accountability.

Under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a proactive duty to prevent sexual harassment. This duty was strengthened from 30 October 2026 through the Employment Rights Act 2025, requiring employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, alongside strengthened responsibilities relating to harassment by third parties.

These developments reinforce the importance of moving beyond reactive approaches to bullying and harassment.

Organisations need to consider not only how they respond when concerns are raised, but also how they identify foreseeable risks, communicate expectations, support employees and prevent inappropriate behaviour from occurring.

Legislative compliance without corresponding manager confidence and capability leaves a significant gap.

This workshop helps organisations translate their responsibilities into practical, everyday behaviours and preventative approaches, supporting wider organisational efforts to meet their legal duties.

What Will We Explore?

1. Understanding Bullying, Harassment and Inappropriate Behaviour

Explore the differences between bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination and victimisation, including how these behaviours may arise in everyday workplace interactions.

Participants consider why intention alone doesn’t determine whether behaviour is acceptable, and how impact, context, repetition and power can influence someone’s experience.

2. The Behaviour Continuum © – Where Do We Draw the Line?

Using David’s Behaviour Continuum ©, participants explore workplace behaviours ranging from respectful and inclusive interactions through to inappropriate conduct, bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and potentially criminal behaviour.

Interactive scenarios encourage participants to reflect on their own perceptions, recognise when boundaries may be crossed and understand why early intervention matters.

The Continuum is a discussion and learning tool, rather than a legal hierarchy. Serious misconduct can occur as a single incident, without preceding warning signs.

3. Workplace Culture, Bias and Power Dynamics

Why do some behaviours become accepted or normalised? Why are certain individuals more likely to be believed, supported or excused than others?

This section explores unconscious bias, insider and outsider dynamics, intersectionality, informal influence, hierarchy and unequal power relationships.

Participants reflect on how these factors can affect inclusion, psychological safety, accountability and people’s willingness to challenge inappropriate behaviour.

4. Recognising and Preventing Sexual Harassment

Develop a clearer understanding of sexual harassment, including unwanted comments, sexualised jokes, inappropriate messages, unwanted attention, physical contact and other behaviours that cross professional or personal boundaries.

Explore how employers can identify foreseeable risks and take preventative steps in situations involving:

• Workplace social events, conferences and networking activities
• Work-related travel and overnight stays
• Interactions with clients, customers and other third parties
• Digital communication, messaging platforms and informal workplace groups
• Power imbalances and situations where individuals may feel particularly vulnerable

The focus is on identifying and reducing risks before harm occurs, rather than waiting for complaints or incidents.

5. Psychological Safety and Speaking Up

Why might someone remain silent when they experience or witness inappropriate behaviour?

Explore the influence of fear, power, workplace relationships, previous experiences and concerns about retaliation or career consequences.

Participants consider what helps people feel confident raising concerns, how to listen and respond sensitively, and how to avoid creating further barriers to speaking up.

6. Challenging Behaviour and Responding Effectively

Recognising inappropriate behaviour is important, but knowing what to do next is equally essential.

Through practical examples and discussion, participants explore how to challenge behaviour constructively, intervene safely, support colleagues and respond appropriately when concerns are raised.

The session considers the responsibilities of individuals, managers and leaders, emphasising fair, consistent and supportive responses.

7. From Reactive Responses to Proactive Prevention

A respectful workplace culture is not created by policy alone.

Participants consider how organisations can strengthen prevention through risk assessment, clear expectations, effective communication, accessible reporting routes, appropriate support, accountability and meaningful follow-up.

The workshop encourages reflection on how organisations can learn from concerns and experiences, rather than simply managing individual incidents.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, participants will be better equipped to:

• Recognise different forms of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and inappropriate workplace behaviour.
• Understand how intention, impact, context, bias and power influence workplace interactions.
• Identify early warning signs and potential risks, including those involving third parties and work-related activities.
• Appreciate the importance of psychological safety and understand why individuals may find it difficult to speak up.
• Challenge inappropriate behaviour more confidently, safely and constructively.
• Respond appropriately and sensitively when colleagues raise concerns.
• Understand the increasing emphasis on prevention within employment legislation and organisational responsibilities.
• Identify practical actions that contribute to safer, more respectful and inclusive workplace cultures.

Who Is This Workshop For?

This session is suitable for organisations across all sectors seeking to strengthen their approach to workplace respect, bullying and harassment prevention.

It is particularly relevant for:

• Employees and teams at all levels
• Line managers, supervisors and people leaders
• Senior leadership teams
• HR, People & Culture and Inclusion professionals
• Employee representatives and staff network members

The workshop can be tailored to reflect an organisation’s policies, values, behavioural expectations, working environments and particular challenges.

An Interactive and Practical Approach

The session is designed to encourage participation, reflection and meaningful discussion rather than simply presenting information.

Participants engage with anonymous polls, practical scenarios, collaborative exercises and guided conversations that help them apply learning to realistic workplace situations.

Sensitive subjects are approached with care, respect and an awareness that participants may have personal experiences of bullying, harassment or discrimination.

The emphasis throughout is on developing understanding, building confidence and identifying actions that can make a positive difference.

Supporting Meaningful Organisational Change

The workshop follows a practical learning journey:

Culture → Behaviour → Recognition → Law → Prevention → Intervention → Response → Accountability

This approach helps participants connect their everyday behaviours with the wider responsibilities of managers, leaders and organisations.

It also reinforces an important principle: preventing bullying and harassment shouldn’t sit separately as an HR or Inclusion initiative. It is fundamental to effective people management, employee wellbeing, psychological safety and organisational culture.

Training is one part of a wider preventative approach, alongside appropriate policies, risk assessments, reporting arrangements, leadership accountability and ongoing review.

Workshop Details

Session: Anti-Bullying & Anti-Harassment: Creating Respectful, Safe and Inclusive Workplace Cultures

Facilitator: David E. Hull-Watters (he/him)

Format: Interactive, facilitated workshop

Duration: Approximately 2–2.5 hours, with flexibility to tailor the content and format to organisational requirements.

Delivery: Available for online and in-person delivery, subject to arrangement.

Tailoring: Content can be adapted to incorporate relevant organisational policies, values, workplace scenarios and specific learning priorities.

Creating Safer Workplaces Starts With Everyday Action

The real measure of an organisation’s culture isn’t simply what its policies say. It’s how people treat one another, what behaviour is challenged, how concerns are handled and whether individuals genuinely feel safe and respected.

What are we overlooking? Who feels unable to speak up? And what could we be doing today to prevent harm tomorrow?

If your organisation is reviewing its approach to bullying, harassment and sexual harassment, or looking to build greater confidence among colleagues and managers in light of changing employment responsibilities, I’d welcome a conversation about how I can support you.

Because creating respectful, safe and inclusive workplace cultures is everyone’s responsibility — and meaningful prevention starts long before a complaint is made.

David E. Hull-Watters

People & Culture Partner | Inclusion & Wellbeing Specialist

www.inclusionconsultant.co.uk

Get in touch to discuss a workshop tailored to your organisation.

 Just wanted to send a quick thanks for the talk this morning- the presentation was fantastic and I think it was really lovely having so much time to go over questions from colleagues. It was so informative and helpful, and I’m sure lots of the attendees (including myself) will feel really supported and empowered to receive the support they need thanks to your time! It’s really nice to see things like this begin to pop up more and more at the BL.

Thank you for this, really, really helpful, especially the reminder/confirmation, that what will help, helps us all, so the methods and approaches to inclusivity don't need to be seen as targeted, so much as best practice. 

I just wanted to say -- WOW, you’re just brilliant. I thought your delivery was spot on, your genuinely lovely personality comes across so well (don’t know how you do that on zoom with no feedback / no faces!) and everything you said made a lot of sense. As I couldn’t type ‘thanks’ at the time, I’m typing it now: !Thanks! 

I really liked how you completely normalised neurodiversity and emphasised how we are all unique and rich in different ways.

The presentation was fantastic and I think it was really lovely having so much time to go over questions from colleagues. It was so informative and helpful, and I’m sure lots of the attendees (including myself) will feel really supported and empowered to receive the support they need thanks to your time! It’s really nice to see things like this begin to pop up more and more at the BL.

Your manner is so right for this kind of thing, I loved how you smiled throughout the presentation – I was thinking I should probably try to learn from how you presented (I hate presenting) as it was so clear and not boring for one second. 

You were so at-ease I’m sure that makes the audience feel really comfortable and able to ask questions. 

Thank you for this, really, really helpful, especially the reminder/confirmation, that what will help, helps us all, so the methods and approaches to inclusivity don't need to be seen as targeted, so much as best practice. 
Thank you very much to David for his talk and to the network for organising! Very informative and with practical information for supporting all colleagues. Thank you!
British Library, Neurodiversity at Work

"The session was amazing! David is a great speaker. He engaged with all the participants and created a safe and encouraging space for everyone." - Christopher, Talent Manager, Fox's Burton's Companies UK

"It was a great session, he was refreshingly positive and brought great colour to our LGBT+ Pride Month session. We all learnt a few new things and the takeaways were 'be proud of who you are, we are all interesting colourful human beings'. A very thought-provoking session, I would definitely recommend David." - Gini, HR Manager, Nuvia UK 

"We received a lot of positive feedback following David joining us for our Pride event this year, he was very engaging and relatable, he made part of the talk interactive which I think was great for engagement. We’d recommend David, and would use him again." - Lynda, People Business Partner UK, Ericsson

"The session with David went awesome! Thanks for all of your help coordinating the speaker and event." - Olivia, Health Recovery Solutions

"David's observance of human behaviour and ability to go straight to the heart of the problem is to be praised" - National Probation Service

"I would highly recommend any company to employ his services to increase the emotional wellbeing of staff, raise the awareness of staff diversity within management, to develop a fully inclusive workplace and to raise business productivity" - National Probation Service

"Thank you very much for such an informative talk. Good practical advice" - Pride in Education Conference

"Thank you so much for the session David! It was really insightful and inspiring" - Pride in Education Conference

"We had such a great time on Friday, David is a lovely man and is so knowledgeable. Staff spoke to me after the session and said that this was the best one they had even been to!" - Massimo, Enfield Council

"He was fantastic and had the audience highly engaged - our best attended Pride event yet!" - Sam, KP Snacks 

“David and Toni were absolutely amazing today. It was such a thoughtful discussion and they did such a nice job of fielding the additional questions that came up during the session as well, we are so grateful to have had them both lending their time and expertise. We are looking forward to our next event!” - Rhiannon, Project Lead, Partner Voice & Analytics, Holman