Dignity at Work Training for Healthcare Staff in Ireland

If you work in the HSE or in a Section 38 organisation funded to deliver health and social care in Ireland, you'll come across Dignity at Work training early on. It's one of five mandatory HSELanD e-learning modules every employee has to complete, and it exists for a simple reason: to make sure everyone understands what bullying, harassment and sexual harassment actually look like at work, what's expected of them, and what to do if something isn't right — whether they're the person affected, a witness, or a manager trying to handle a complaint fairly.

What the Dignity at Work policy actually covers

The training is built around the HSE's Dignity at Work Policy for the Public Health Service (Revised 2022), and it's worth understanding what the policy itself actually says before you look at the training around it, because the two are tightly linked.

The policy defines bullying as repeated inappropriate behaviour, direct or indirect, that could reasonably be regarded as undermining a person's dignity at work — a single incident, however unpleasant, doesn't meet that bar on its own. Harassment is unwanted conduct related to one of the grounds protected under the Employment Equality Acts — things like gender, age, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability or membership of the Traveller community — that violates a person's dignity. Sexual harassment is any unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that has the same effect, including harassment carried out digitally. The policy also protects staff from victimisation — being treated badly because they raised a concern or supported someone else who did.

Crucially, the policy doesn't only cover behaviour between colleagues. It applies to conduct by "patients, service users, suppliers, contractors, visitors" and others a staff member might encounter while doing their job — so it's not narrowly about staff-on-staff conflict, it's about the whole working environment.

Why the training is mandatory, and who needs it

Dignity at Work is one of the HSE's core mandatory and statutory training requirements, sitting alongside four other HSELanD modules: Children First, Hand Hygiene, Open Disclosure, and Cyber Security Awareness. The HSE's own guidance is direct on this point: the module is "mandatory for HSE and Section 38 employees" and staff are expected to complete it promptly, generally as part of induction and ongoing statutory and mandatory training obligations.

It's mandatory because a policy that only exists on paper doesn't protect anyone. Every employee needs to be able to recognise bullying and harassment when they see it — not just when they're on the receiving end of it — and every manager needs to know how to respond appropriately when something is raised with them. Training is also what makes the policy defensible and consistent in practice: if a complaint does end up going through a formal process, it matters that staff understood the standard they were being held to.

What the training itself covers

The HSELanD module walks staff through the policy in practical terms rather than just reciting definitions. Based on the policy content the training is built around, that typically means:

• What counts as bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and victimisation, with real-world examples rather than abstract wording
• The behavioural standards expected of every employee, and the responsibilities managers carry specifically
• The supports available to someone who is affected, including Dignity at Work Support Contact Persons — trained staff who offer confidential, non-judgemental guidance to anyone involved, whether they've raised a concern or have one raised against them
• How a concern can be resolved informally, and when and how it moves to a formal process

Line managers have an additional layer on top of this. The HSE runs a separate half-day Dignity at Work for Line Managers programme, delivered virtually and interactively, which goes deeper into a manager's responsibilities, how to handle a complaint that's brought to them, and how to help build a genuinely respectful team culture — rather than just relying on the base e-learning module everyone completes.

How a concern gets raised in practice

The policy sets out a two-stage approach, and the training explains both stages clearly.

The informal route comes first wherever it's appropriate and safe to try it. This can mean speaking directly to the person whose behaviour is a concern, or involving a line manager to help resolve things, sometimes with mediation. This is also where a Support Contact Person can help — staff can request one through their local HR department, or if they'd rather not use a local contact, HR can arrange one from elsewhere. The National HR help desk (1800 444 925, or ask.hr@hse.ie) can also point staff toward a contact person. These conversations are confidential, no records are kept, and support is available to everyone involved in a situation, not just the person who raised it.

If the informal route doesn't resolve things, or isn't suitable given the nature of the concern, the policy moves to a formal stage: a complaint is submitted and investigated to establish whether what happened meets the policy's definitions of bullying, harassment or sexual harassment.

It's worth knowing this HSE-specific process sits alongside Ireland's wider legal framework — the Workplace Relations Commission's Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work sets out the general standard for how Irish employers should handle bullying complaints, and the HSE's own policy is built to align with it.

How it's delivered, and how long it takes

Like the HSE's other mandatory modules, Dignity at Work is delivered as self-paced e-learning through HSELanD, the HSE's online learning platform. Staff log in, work through the module in their own time, and it counts as working time — the HSE's guidance is that mandatory training should, where possible, take place during working hours and is provided free of charge.

Neither the HSE's mandatory training page nor the policy document specifies an exact completion time for the e-learning module, so we're not going to guess a figure — if you need a precise duration, your local training or HR team will be able to confirm it. Similarly, we couldn't find a published refresher or renewal interval for Dignity at Work specifically, unlike some other mandatory modules that state a repeat cycle — if that changes or your organisation applies a local renewal policy, your line manager or HR department is the source to check.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dignity at Work training only about bullying between colleagues?
No. The HSE policy also covers conduct by patients, service users, visitors, contractors and others staff encounter while working, not just staff-on-staff behaviour.

Do I have to complete Dignity at Work training if I work for a Section 38 organisation rather than the HSE directly?
Yes — the HSE's guidance states the module is mandatory for both HSE and Section 38 employees.

What's the difference between the standard module and Dignity at Work for Line Managers?
The standard HSELanD module is for all staff and covers the policy itself. Dignity at Work for Line Managers is a separate, additional half-day virtual programme aimed specifically at people managers, focused on handling complaints and building a respectful team environment.

Who can I talk to if I'm not sure whether to raise something formally?
A Dignity at Work Support Contact Person is a good first step — they offer confidential, judgement-free guidance without taking sides or contacting other parties. Your local HR department, or the National HR help desk on 1800 444 925, can put you in touch with one.

Dignity at Work training is a small time investment for something that shapes how a whole workplace treats the people in it — colleagues, patients, and everyone else who passes through it. If you're working through the HSE's mandatory modules, it's worth treating this one with the same care you'd give any of the others.

This guide is part of Learnsignal's ongoing coverage of professional qualifications and training routes.