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Questioning an employee's ability to meet work demands didn't amount to bullying, the Fair Work Commission has ruled, despite finding it was "borderline unreasonable" for an employer to ignore his repeated complaints about his workload.

Commissioner Nicholas Wilson said the employee wasn't trying to be "belligerent or argumentative" when raising concerns about his performance, and his manager didn't "meaningfully engage" with his complaints, nor accept they needed investigation.

He also found, however, that the employee didn't work as efficiently or productively as he could, and was "resistant" to accepting feedback, particularly from managers.

In rejecting the employee's stop-bullying claim, Commissioner Wilson recommended the employer and employee have a formal meeting "in the near future" to discuss their expectations and grievances, to ensure a "sustainable working relationship"...