Unacceptable and Unreasonable Actions Policy

Our staff are expected to treat individuals with courtesy, respect and fairness. Similarly, we expect our staff to be treated in the same way.

We have a duty to protect the welfare and safety of our staff. Where individuals behave unacceptably or unreasonably, we will refer to this policy.

The term ‘staff’ in this policy covers paid employees as well as volunteers serving the charity.

Unacceptable behaviour

We understand that people may act out of character in times of distress or due to frustration. However, if that frustration becomes aggression or abuse towards our staff, we will not accept that.

Our staff have the right to undertake their work free from aggression or abuse and we expect them to be treated with courtesy and respect. Aggressive or abusive behaviour may include:

• threats of physical harm or actual physical harm
• behaviour or language (verbal or written) that may cause staff to feel offended, afraid, threatened or abused
• insulting or degrading language
• personal grudges toward certain staff
• making serious allegations against staff without any evidence.

We may also decide that comments aimed not at us but at third parties are unacceptable because of the effect that listening to or reading them may have on our staff.

Examples of unacceptable behaviour

• threats, verbal abuse, shouting, obscene / derogatory remarks and rudeness
• racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, disablist comments, or other harassment based on personal characteristics
• repeatedly demanding disciplinary action be taken against staff
• recording meetings or telephone conversations without consent
• sharing private correspondence or confidential materials without consent

Unreasonable demands

A demand may be unreasonable if handling it could take up an excessive amount of staff time. As we are a charity with limited resource to respond, this could prevent essential work being completed or other complaints from being handled in time.

We may decide a demand is unreasonable if, for example, individuals:

• demand responses within an unreasonable timescale
• insist on seeing or speaking to someone more senior or a particular member of staff when that is not possible
• keep changing what their complaint is about
• keep raising new or unrelated concerns

Examples of unreasonable demands

• demanding a response from a senior staff member and refusing to speak to anyone more junior
• demanding to speak to someone on the same day when that person is not available
• demanding an immediate call back from a manager or volunteer

Unreasonable frequency or duration of contact

The number of times an individual contacts us, or the duration of each contact, can cause problems for our staff.

The level of contact may become unacceptable when the amount of time spent talking to an individual on the telephone, or responding to, reviewing and filing emails or written correspondence, means we struggle to deal with that complaint, or with other people’s complaints.

Examples of unreasonable levels of contact:

• making numerous phone calls in one day
• writing frequent emails about the same issue or repeatedly sending us emails with large amounts of information attached that is not needed when a matter is closed
• sending in new complaints before we have had an opportunity to address earlier complaints
• repeatedly asking us to look at the same issue when we have already addressed it
• repeatedly contacting us in respect of decisions we have taken and with which an individual disagrees
• repeatedly making very long calls to us

How we manage unacceptable and unreasonable behaviour

If we feel behaviour is unacceptable or unreasonable, we may take any of the following actions:

• restrict or end contact on the matter
• restrict contact on all matters
• ask that all future contact is made through a third party
• end contact entirely for a period of time
• report incidents to the police (for example, if violence has been threatened)
• take any other action that we consider appropriate, such as blocking phone calls and returning correspondence.

Where staff are considering the above or have had to take immediate action (for example, end a phone call), they should discuss this with the Secretary General or Chief Operating Officer who will then consider with staff which action is appropriate (if any). We will let the individual know about the action we are taking and the reason for it. This may include how long restrictions will be in place.

In making our decision, we may consider:

• how it affects our staff
• how it affects the individual (including their personal circumstances and any reasonable adjustments)
• the extent to which we are able to engage or assist
• the extent to which the process or subject matter has been exhausted.

This process may be reconsidered by us if the individual commits to behaving with courtesy, respect and fairness and:

• some time has passed
• there is a more suitable alternative available
• we receive evidence that there were exceptional reasons for the behaviour.

*This policy has been modelled on the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s own Unacceptable and Unreasonable Behaviour Policy (2021).