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Traditional HR approaches to managing bullying risks are "simply not keeping up with the complexity of the modern-day workplace bully", according to a workplace relations expert.

Outdated policies and practices are one of the main reasons bullying is still underreported, says Humanify HR Consulting founder and managing director Sarah Queenan.

Most anti-bullying policies, for example, still advise employees experiencing bullying to, "ask the bully to stop the behaviour if you feel safe to do so", Queenan tells HR Daily.

However, Queenan says, "we know if you are being bullied, the last thing you are going to want to do is engage with the bully in this type of potentially confrontational way", particularly if – as is often the case – the bully is their manager or supervisor...