With Dominic Raab officially stating that he will be stepping down from his role as an MP at the next general election, we look at the alleged behaviour that got him into this position in the first place.

Eight complaints were made against Mr Raab, spanning his appointment to a variety of different offices, prompting a probe into his behaviour. The probe, undertaken by a King’s Counsel barrister Adam Tolley, found that the minister had acted in an ‘intimidating’ and ‘unreasonably and persistently aggressive’ manner. Describing the conduct as involving ‘an abuse or misuse of power in a way that undermines or humiliates’, Mr Tolley upheld the complaints against the minister. The report went so far as to describe the conduct as ‘insulting’, acting ‘in a manner which was intimidating, in the sense of going further than was necessary or appropriate in delivering feedback’, and ‘making unconstructive critical comments about the quality of work done.’

While Mr Raab did defend his comments, stating that ministers should be able to give direct critical feedback, this does not seem to explain how one could construe ‘utterly useless’ or ‘woeful’ as constructive. Following his resignation, the Prime Minister added that it was ‘clear there have been shortcomings in the historic process that have negatively affected everyone involved.’

So, what should you do if you experience bullying or harassment in the workplace? The first point, while it really will depend on the general culture of the workplace one finds themselves in, is to raise the matter informally to the person involved or your manager.

Failing this, a discussion to their manager, HR department, or trade union representative to try and resolve the issue before beginning a formal process.

The formal process begins through the employer’s grievance procedure. Ensuring clear and concise drafting which sets out the steps and standards expected of all parties can really assist an employee to feel they are having their grievance handled seriously, as well as an employer to understand the nature of the grievance. While it may not be possible to resolve all issues at this stage, having a maintained and understandable policy can show to either ACAS or a tribunal how the matter has been handled.

As employers have a responsibility to prevent bullying in the workplace, keeping employees trained on policies and behaviour can keep a workplace flowing smoothly.