Antisocial behaviour management: A strategic HR guide

Australian workplaces need fresh HR approaches to manage increasing antisocial behaviour. From workplace bullying between colleagues to customer aggression, these challenges form a critical part of HR's broader psychosocial safety obligations. For HR leaders, this presents an opportunity: transforming behaviour management into foundations for cultural growth.

Rising challenges in workplace behaviour

Antisocial behaviour now affects organisations across all sectors, influencing culture and team dynamics. At a recent sold-out event hosted by The Next Step, industry leaders shared insights about this pressing challenge. What began as pandemic-related stress has evolved into new patterns - from workplace exclusion to team member intimidation, alongside increasing customer friction.

"Society is getting more impatient and wants stuff done 'right now'," explained Chan Sinnadurai, Head of Health Safety Security & Environment at Energy Australia, during the discussion. This shift in behaviour needs strategic responses from HR leaders, with 50% of customer interactions now involving some form of hostility.

Strategic HR approaches

Smart HR leaders see that managing antisocial behaviour needs more than security measures - it needs cultural transformation. Several speakers at the event shared practical approaches that deliver results.

Western Health's strategy shows this evolution in action. Their "Nine myths about healthcare worker obligations" education program tackled common misconceptions head-on - like the belief that staff must tolerate aggressive behaviour as "part of the job". Combined with their confidential reporting tool "The Vault", this comprehensive approach achieved a 95% positive behaviour change.

Energy Australia took a different path, developing a practical solution for their contact centre teams. Their 'wellness code' system lets staff take immediate breaks after difficult calls without complex approval processes - a simple change that significantly improved team wellbeing.

The key lies in creating what Russell Harrison, Western Health CEO, calls a "whole-of-organisation approach." This means:

• Integrating psychosocial safety into recruitment and onboarding
• Building psychological safety into team development
• Creating clear reporting pathways for antisocial behaviour
• Developing leadership capabilities around behaviour management

Measuring behaviour management success

Modern HR leaders find success by moving beyond traditional incident reporting. Greater Western Water demonstrates this through their integrated wellbeing dashboard, which helps them spot pressure points before they become problems. Their daily data reviews during critical periods let them adjust support measures in real time - from adding extra team leader support to implementing temporary role rotations.

Their integrated dashboard combines:

• Daily operational metrics
• Employee engagement data
• Exit interview insights
• Case management trends for internal conduct and customer interactions

Building resilience

Effective responses to antisocial behaviour create opportunities for cultural strengthening. 7-Eleven's approach shows how practical measures build team confidence - their combination of secure counters and immediate field manager support after incidents helps maintain staff wellbeing while managing security risks.

For HR leaders looking to strengthen their approach, key focus areas include:

Supporting middle management

• Equip team leaders with conflict resolution skills through scenario-based training
• Create clear escalation protocols with designated response teams
• Provide regular coaching and support through peer learning groups

Enhancing team resilience

• Build psychological safety through structured team dialogue sessions
• Develop peer support networks with trained mental health first aiders
• Create feedback loops through regular pulse surveys and action planning

The employer brand advantage

"We want to be an employer of choice because there's a lot of competition out there," explained Western Health's Harrison at the event. "Everything we do reinforces that Western Health is a great place to work - one that keeps its people safe and offers rewarding careers."

This connection between safety and employer brand resonates strongly with HR professionals. Through our work with HR leaders across Australia, we're seeing increasing emphasis on joining organisations that demonstrate genuine care for their people. HR professionals themselves seek employers who back cultural commitments with practical action.

Louise Meadows, Chief People Officer at Greater Western Water, demonstrates this approach in action. Their "whole of system approach" delivers measurable improvements in both safety metrics and talent attraction - exactly what today's HR talent looks for in potential employers.

Shaping tomorrow's workplace

Today's workplace gives HR leaders a unique chance to reshape organisational culture through their approach to safety and behaviour management. Those who succeed create more than safe workplaces - they build magnetic cultures that attract and keep the best talent.

Want to explore how your organisation can strengthen its approach to workplace behaviour and psychosocial safety? The Next Step can connect you with the right HR talent to tackle this growing challenge - whether you need permanent People & Culture professionals to drive long-term cultural change, or specialist HR and Health & Safety contractors to boost your immediate capability.

Let us know how we can help.