Dignity at Work Training for Irish Employers and Staff

Your dignity at work policy might sit in the staff handbook, signed and filed. The harder question is whether your managers know how to apply it when a complaint lands.

Our dignity at work training programme deals with that. Sessions run at any level, from senior management down to general staff, delivered remotely or on site.

Tell us your group size and preferred format using the enquiry form below.

What Does Dignity at Work Mean for Irish Employers?

Dignity at work means every employee has the right to a workplace free from bullying, harassment and sexual harassment. The duty to make that happen sits with the employer.

Irish law draws the lines carefully, and the distinctions matter:

  • Bullying is repeated inappropriate behaviour that damages a person’s dignity at work. A once-off incident, however unpleasant, falls outside that definition and gets handled another way.
  • Harassment is unwanted conduct linked to one of the nine discriminatory grounds under the Employment Equality Acts.
  • Sexual harassment covers unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, whether verbal, physical or otherwise.

Here is the part managers get wrong most often. Intent does not settle the question. What counts is the effect on the person. The test is whether the behaviour could reasonably be regarded as damaging their dignity at work.

The statutory Code of Practice on the prevention and resolution of bullying at work sets out what employers should do. Where a complaint needs a neutral route, mediation is one option.

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What the Dignity at Work Training Programme Covers

Sessions work through your own dignity at work policy and your own reporting procedure. People leave knowing the process that applies where they work, not a generic version of it. The programme runs through the areas below, and the depth of each one shifts depending on who is in the room.

  • Relevant Legislation

  • Dignity at Work Policy

  • Equality

  • Bullying – What it is and what it isn’t

  • Harassment

  • Sexual Harassment

  • Discrimination

  • Victimisation

  • The Question of Intent

  • Company Reporting Procedures

  • Informal/Formal Resolution

  • Confidentiality

  • Dignity at Work Workshop

Other courses in the same series are listed on our business training sessions page.

What our customers say:

“The training sessions have always been an enjoyable experience highly appreciated by all our staff. The content  is very comprehensive and adequate to the matter on hands, with engaging and very knowledgeable speakers. The sessions are not just a repetition of legal content, but bespoken sessions with real case examples fully related to our day-a-day activities.”

Miguel Alfonso, General Manager, M50 Concessions Ltd

“The staff handbook training conducted by The HR Company  was excellent. The training delivered to our employees was clear, concise, and easy to understand. They highlighted and explained the key Company HR policies and procedures outlined in our staff handbook and answered all questions asked. HST recognises the importance of the communication and understanding of our HR policies to provide clarity and best practise guidelines for our employees, The HR Company’s excellent training presentation supported our company in achieving this important objective.“

Susan Dael, Head of People and Culture, HST

“We really enjoyed the training designed and delivered by The HR Company.  It was exactly what we asked for and they were very knowledgeable, able to explain everything very well and answer all of our questions. It was a great training session.”

Nadia Kahan, HR Advisor, Always Developing People

“We want to express our gratitude to The HR Company for their outstanding HR support. Maggie and her team have been incredibly helpful and approachable, promptly addressing all our HR queries. The personal HR training session was invaluable, offering face-to-face advice tailored to our needs. The HR Company also keeps us updated on new legislations, ensuring our compliance. We highly recommend their services for their expertise, dedication, and personalized approach.”

Conor Diffney, Manager, Diffney Menswear

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Or call us on +35312911850 to speak with a member of our training team.

Who Should Attend Dignity at Work Traininga

Dignity at Work training lands better when it runs across the organisation rather than at one level. Each group needs something slightly different from the session.

Company Directors

Liability sits with the organisation, not the individual manager. Directors learn what the law expects of an employer, and how a mishandled complaint can reach the Workplace Relations Commission.

Managers at All Levels

Managers hear about problems first. They learn to recognise bullying and harassment early, run the informal stage correctly, and record what happens at each step. It pairs well with HR training for non-HR managers.

Employees at All Levels

Staff learn what dignity and respect look like day to day, and what crosses the line. They also learn how to raise a concern, and how confidentiality applies afterwards.

Why a Policy on Its Own Is Not Enough

Picture the usual position. The dignity at work policy is written and filed. Nobody has read it since induction. A complaint arrives, the manager improvises, the informal stage gets skipped, and the paper trail is thin.

By the time anyone asks whether the procedure was followed, the answer is uncomfortable.

Now picture the same organisation after training. Managers spot inappropriate behaviour early. They know which route applies, they know what to write down, and they know when to escalate.

Staff understand what they can raise and how. The policy stops being a filed document and starts shaping how people behave.

That shift is what the training is for. If you want the same treatment applied to the wider handbook, employee handbook training covers the rest of your policies.

Respect Should Be the Standard in Your Workplace!

A trained workforce spots problems early and handles them properly. That helps protect your people and your organisation at the same time.

Send your group size and preferred delivery method through the enquiry form above. You can also reach the training team at The HR Company on +353 1 291 1850. For wider support, see our HR services for small business.

Dignity at Work Training Questions Answered

Dignity at work is the right of every employee to be treated with dignity and respect, free from bullying, harassment and sexual harassment. Irish employers have a duty to promote it and to deal with complaints properly when they arise.

There is no standalone legal requirement to run the training. The duty to prevent bullying and harassment does sit with the employer. The statutory Code of Practice expects staff to be made aware of the policy and the procedure.

Bullying is repeated inappropriate behaviour that damages a person’s dignity at work. Harassment is unwanted conduct connected to one of the nine discriminatory grounds under the Employment Equality Acts. A once-off incident can amount to harassment but usually will not amount to bullying.

Directors, managers and general staff all benefit, though for different reasons. Running the session across every level works best, because managers and employees need to recognise the same behaviour and follow the same reporting procedure.

Yes. Sessions run virtually or in person at your premises, whichever suits your team. Remote delivery works well for organisations with staff spread across several sites. Tell us your preference on the enquiry form.

It does. The session works through your dignity at work policy and your reporting procedure. Attendees learn the process that applies where they work, not a textbook version of it.