Our current process for bullying and harassment complaints

Bullying and harassment have no place at Fire and Emergency.

We have a bullying and harassment complaints process for people who want to raise a complaint or seek advice about their options. This process allows people to talk with someone impartially and confidentially.

How to raise a complaint or seek advice

If you have experienced unwanted behaviour and would like to raise a complaint or seek advice, you can contact our Behaviour and Conduct Office (BCO) who will deal with your matter completely confidentially.

Reaching out to someone can be difficult and stressful. We are here to support you and take reports of unwanted behaviour seriously.

You can contact the Behaviour and Conduct Office by:

Someone from the Behaviour and Conduct Office will respond to you within three working days.

What is the Behaviour and Conduct Office (BCO)

We have established a Behaviour and Conduct Office and an interim director has been appointed.

When fully operational, the Behaviour and Conduct Office will be the central point for education, training and guidance related to value-based behaviour. The Behaviour and Conduct Office's full functions are being scoped and consulted on soon.

At the moment the Behaviour and Conduct Office manages our bullying and harassment complaints process.

What the Behaviour and Conduct Office will do with your information

The information you provide when making a complaint will be kept as confidential as possible and will only be shared with those who need to know the information in order for your complaint to be properly addressed. This may include sharing information with the person you have complained about.  

Your information won’t be shared without your knowledge. However, if there is a serious threat to your, or someone else’s, health or safety, the organisation may be required to take action without letting you know first.

If you have concerns or questions about how your information may be shared with others, please feel free to contact the Behaviour and Conduct Office to discuss.

Who can use our current complaints process

Our current complaints process is available to anyone who wants to raise a complaint of bullying and/or harassment by Fire and Emergency people, or to seek advice or information about the options and process for resolving complaints.

The current process :

  • is available to employees, volunteers and members of the public.
  • is available as a resource for managers and leaders to provide information about how to respond to complaints, and supporting early resolution where possible
  • began in March 2020 and formed the first function of the Behaviour and Conduct Office.

Defining bullying and harassment

Bullying is defined as repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed towards another person or a group of people that can lead to physical or psychological harm;

  • Repeated behaviour is persistent and can involve a range of actions over time.
  • Unreasonable behaviour means actions that a reasonable person wouldn't do in similar circumstances. It includes victimising, humiliating, intimidating or threatening a person.

Harassment, as defined by the State Services Commission, is unwanted and unwarranted behaviour that a person finds offensive, intimidating or humiliating and is repeated, or significant enough as a single incident, to have a detrimental effect on a person's dignity, safety and wellbeing.