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The Department has a Workplace Bullying Policy that applies to all Department staff in all Department workplaces including in all Victorian government schools. Schools are not required to develop their own local Workplace Bullying policy and instead should rely on the Department's policy available on the Department's Policy and Advisory Library.

The Department encourages school councils to follow the Department's Workplace Bullying Policy for all school council employees, contractors and volunteers to ensure the same expectations of all people working in the same environment. It is recommended that a motion be passed by the school council to formalise this. Some recommended words for this action, to be recorded in the school council minutes, are:

"That School Council approves the adoption of the Department's Workplace Bullying Policy for all school council employees, volunteers and contractors engaged by the school council.

Moved: ....

Seconded:...

Accepted:..."

Implementation guide

• ​Staff should be made aware of the Department's Workplace Bullying Policy through induction processes and a copy or a link to it should be included in the Staff Manual/Handbook.
• Staff should also be made aware of this policy through other means on a regular (eg annual) basis, for example, reminders at a staff meeting. This could be in conjunction with reminders about other policies relating to respectful workplaces including the Sexual Harassment Policy and the Department's other policies (eg Equal Opportunity - Employees) that apply to all schools.
• School can download and print a copy of this policy for their OHS noticeboard or other relevant area within staff rooms or the school.
• School council should pass a motion to formally adopt the Department's Workplace Bullying Policy for all school council staff, volunteers and contractors engaged by the school council (see suggested wording above).
• Volunteers and contractors should be informed (eg through your school's Volunteers Policy and Visitors Policy) that they are expected to comply with relevant school and Department policies relating to respectful workplace behaviours such as the Workplace Bullying Policy.