Acceptable and Unacceptable Behaviour

[Noor E Alam]

Acceptable behaviour

The University expects that all employees will conduct themselves in a professional manner when interacting with others or when managing colleagues.  All members of the University should consider their own behaviour and the impact that this can have on others.  The University recognises that personalities, characters and management styles may differ but, notwithstanding these differences, as a minimum standard all staff are expected to:

Work co-operatively with others in order to achieve objectives

Manage performance in an appropriate and fair manner

Give and receive constructive feedback as part of normal day-to-day work.Such feedback should be evidence-based and delivered in an appropriate manner

Consider other people's perspectives in order to help reach agreement

Establish good working relationships.

The University has a framework of behavioural attributes which communicates the behaviours that are valued in the University of Cambridge.

Unacceptable behaviour

Unacceptable behaviour (including bullying, harassment and victimisation), may involve actions, words or physical gestures that could reasonably be perceived to be the cause of another person's distress or discomfort.   Bullying or harassment may be by an individual against an individual or involve groups of people.

The University defines behaviour as being unacceptable if:

It is unwanted by the recipient.

It has the purpose or effect of violating the recipient's dignity and/or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment, and

Having regard to all the circumstances, including the recipient's perception, it was reasonabe for the behaviour to have that effect.

Unacceptable behaviour does not have to be face-to-face, and may take many forms such as written, telephone or e-mail communications or through social media.  For the University's policy on Acceptable use of computer facilities email and the internet go to https://www.hr.admin.cam.ac.uk/policies-procedures/computer-facilities-email-and-internet

If a third party who is not a member of the University staff (for example, a customer, a supplier or a visitor) behaves in an unacceptable manner, this should be reported to the relevant Head of Institution who will determine an appropriate course of action to deal with the issue.  If the Head of Institution is not able to resolve the issue, the complaint will be taken forward by the Director of Human Resources.

Some examples of unacceptable behaviour are:

Aggressive or abusive behaviour, such as shouting or personal insults

Spreading malicious rumours or gossip, or insulting someone

Discrimination or harassmentwhen related to a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010

Unwanted physical contact

Stalking

Offensive comments/jokes or body language

Publishing, circulating or displaying pornographic, racist, sexually suggestive or otherwise offensive material or pictures

Isolation, deliberate exclusion and/or non co-operation at work

Persistent and unreasonable criticism

Unreasonable demands and impossible targets

Coercion, such as pressure to subscribe to a particular political or religious belief

Source:- https://www.hr.admin.cam.ac.uk/policies-procedures/dignity-work-policy/guidance-managers-and-staff/guidance-managers/acceptable-and