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Avoiding eye contact and not initiating conversations didn't constitute bullying, the Fair Work Commission has found.

Rather, these were a colleague's understandable efforts to minimise any "misunderstanding or discomfort" with an employee, after she made a workplace complaint about him, Commissioner Paul Schneider said.

In stop-bullying proceedings, a Ventia marine technician claimed the colleague: was disrespectful towards her during pre-start meetings; made inappropriate remarks about female staff; and stopped making eye contact with her after she complained about him.

But the employer denied the employee was bullied at work. Its investigation substantiated one allegation of harassment against the colleague, for which it gave him a written warning...