The New Zealand Law Society has released a range of online and other resources as part of its actions against bullying and sexual harassment in the legal profession.
The resources can be accessed from a new section on the Law Society's website, Bullying and harassment in the legal profession:
The resources include links to further information such as the 0800 Law Care phone service, detailed information and an online form for reporting unacceptable conduct, a range of resources which provide practical guidance and information on prevention of bullying and harassment, and a Word template for development of a sexual harassment policy and guidelines.
The headings in the new section are as follows:
- Information and practical guidance
Bullying and harassment and what can be done to prevent them.
- 0800 phone line for harassment support
Talk to trained Law Society staff about sensitive matters such as workplace harassment, the options available and the support you can access.
- Report unacceptable conduct
Submit a report to the Law Society if you have grounds to suspect another lawyer has engaged in misconduct.
- Template sexual harassment policy and guidelines
Download a Word template for use by the legal profession, adapted by employment lawyer Steph Dyhrberg.
- Regulatory working group
A working group to consider what improvements can be made to enable better reporting of harassment in the legal profession. - Workplace Environment Survey
A national survey of New Zealand lawyers will be conducted in April 2018 to assess workplace environments in the legal profession.