United States guide
Writing a complaint about bullying or unfair treatment
Repeated behaviour is hard to describe in one sentence and easy to dismiss as a personality clash. A dated record changes that. The aim is a document your employer can act on: what happened, when, who saw it, and what you want done.
Build the timeline first
List every incident you can date, in order, with one line each. Add roughly-dated entries where you can't be exact.
For each, note where it happened, who was present, and what was said or done — as close to the actual words as you can recall.
Describe behaviour, not character
"He raised his voice at me in front of the team on 3 March" is usable. "He is a bully" is not.
Patterns matter: frequency, escalation, and whether it followed something you raised.
Impact
Say how it has affected your work — missed deadlines, changed shifts, avoiding meetings, absence, health. Keep it factual and only include health information you're comfortable sharing.
What to ask for
Common asks: investigate, stop the behaviour, separate reporting lines while it's looked into, a meeting, and the outcome confirmed in writing.
Give a reasonable date for a reply and keep a copy of everything you send.
Build a conduct complaint
Answer a few short questions and RightWords turns your own account of what happened into a Word document you can download and send yourself.
Workplace bullying or unfair treatmentCommon questions
- Is workplace bullying illegal in the US?
- There is no single federal law about bullying as such. Conduct connected to a protected characteristic can raise separate issues, and whether that applies to a particular situation is a question for a licensed attorney or the appropriate agency.
- What if it gets worse after I complain?
- Keep a dated record of anything that changes afterwards. The EEOC treats retaliation for raising a protected concern as a separate issue from the concern itself.
Sources
RightWords is a document-preparation and general-information service. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice or legal representation. Employment laws and procedures can vary by federal, state and local jurisdiction. RightWords does not determine whether conduct is unlawful or tell you what legal claim to bring. If you need advice about your legal rights, deadlines or a specific claim, speak with a licensed attorney or an appropriate government agency.