A joke too far? When harmless banter becomes a tribunal waiting to happen

We all like a laugh from time to time. This is especially the case in the workplace – when you’re working hard all day, it is desirable, sometimes even necessary, to have moments of light-hearted relief to keep everyone in good spirits.

But at what point do you draw the line? Jokes between staff are often at the expense of others, so what level of ‘banter’ should be tolerated in the workplace, and when do you have to say ‘enough is enough’?

It is important to point out that even if the harassment was conducted by other employees and not necessarily the business owners themselves, the company could be found vicariously liable and taken to the Employment Tribunal.

We would always advise that businesses have a Bullying and Harassment Policy in place which clearly sets out how the company will deal with such behaviour. Although this will not always prevent bullying and/or harassment, it does go some way to raising awareness amongst employees.