Being bullied by a manager can make it hard to decide whom to tell. There is no risk-free route and HR is not automatically an adversary: it may be the appropriate place to raise a concern, particularly where the manager is the subject of it.
Why evidence matters
Keep a dated account of incidents: what was said or done, where, who witnessed it and any work impact. Preserve relevant messages lawfully. Do not remove confidential business information or colleagues' personal data without advice. A factual chronology can help the organisation investigate and help you explain what outcome you want.
Choosing how to raise it
Read your employer's bullying, grievance and whistleblowing policies. You might speak informally to another manager or HR, seek union support, or submit a written grievance. If the normal contact is implicated, ask who else can handle it impartially. Explain concrete incidents, relevant policy provisions, witnesses and the steps you seek; you can also describe the personal impact. Request an acknowledgement and keep records of responses. Do not assume bypassing HR or remaining silent is safer: a formal grievance may create a clearer process, and you should respond to reasonable investigation requests.
The legal distinction
Bullying alone is not always unlawful discrimination. In Great Britain, harassment under the Equality Act 2010 generally involves unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic, or sexual harassment; Northern Ireland has separate discrimination legislation. A serious course of conduct may engage the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, and a fundamental contractual breach may sometimes support a constructive dismissal claim, but resigning is risky and usually requires prompt individual advice. A grievance is not automatically a protected whistleblowing disclosure: whistleblowing protection depends on the nature and public-interest character of the information disclosed. Victimisation protection can apply to complaints about discrimination, but not every adverse response to any complaint is automatically unlawful. There is no general post-2026 strict-liability rule guaranteeing psychological safety or career protection.
If treatment worsens, document what changed and raise it promptly with the organisation, your union, Acas (GB) or the Labour Relations Agency (NI). Most GB employment tribunal claims have a short time limit, often three months less one day, subject to applicable rules and early conciliation; seek advice before a deadline or resignation.
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Official guidance: Acas on bullying and discrimination; Acas on whistleblowing; Acas grievance Code (GB).