Form F72 is the Fair Work Commission's application for an order to stop bullying at work. It is for workers who believe they have been bullied more than once, expect it to continue, and believe it creates a risk to their health and safety. The Commission suggests using workplace processes first where you can. Before you start, check eligibility; then prepare a dated list of incidents, a separate account of the risk and a short statement of what you think needs to happen.

Key points

  • Form F72 is for workers in a constitutionally covered business who still work in that workplace.
  • It asks for at least two examples, how the behaviour creates a risk to health and safety, and what should happen.
  • The employer and each person you name receive a copy of the form and anything you attach.
  • The fee for 2026-27 is $92.70; you can ask for a waiver if paying would cause serious financial hardship.
Contents
  1. Check who can apply
  2. What the form asks and how to prepare
  3. Checklist before you lodge Form F72
  4. Who gets a copy, the fee and what happens next
  5. Frequently asked questions

Check who can apply

You must be a worker, such as an employee, contractor, labour hire employee, apprentice, trainee, student on work experience or volunteer. The business must be “constitutionally covered”: for example a proprietary limited company, the Australian Government or a Commonwealth authority. The national laws may not cover you if you work for a sole trader or partnership, a state government department or some local governments; state or territory laws may still protect you. You must also still work in, or be connected to, the workplace: you cannot apply if you no longer work for the employer where you believe the bullying happened. The Commission has an online eligibility check.

Bullying here means unreasonable behaviour that happens more than once and creates a risk to health and safety. A comment made once and not repeated does not meet that definition. Reasonable management action taken in a reasonable way is not bullying; the Commission gives a performance improvement plan as an example of action that may be reasonable.

What the form asks and how to prepare

  • The behaviour and at least two examples: for each, the date, place or channel, what was said or done, who was involved and what happened next.
  • The risk to your health and safety: explain it in its own paragraph, in your own words.
  • What you have already done: any complaint at work and its outcome, and whether you reported the behaviour to another organisation. If you have not raised it at work yet, see how to write a formal bullying complaint to HR.
  • Performance management or discipline: say whether your manager has started either, with dates, kept apart from the incidents.
  • What you think needs to happen to stop the behaviour.
  • Contact details: yours, any representative's, your employer's including a contact person, and each person you name.

Checklist before you lodge Form F72

  1. List every incident from oldest to newest, marking estimated dates.
  2. Choose at least two clear examples, including the most recent one.
  3. Add the dates of any workplace complaint, the replies and any report to another organisation.
  4. Add the dates of any performance or disciplinary steps.
  5. Write the risk paragraph and what you want to happen.
  6. Check what you are attaching, and remove unrelated personal details.

Our incident log template can help you put scattered notes in order first. For what to write about each incident, see how to document workplace bullying in Australia.

Who gets a copy, the fee and what happens next

The Commission gives a copy of your application and any documents you send to your employer (or principal) and to each person you name, so they can respond. They will see your details and any personal information you include. If you are not sure what to put in the application, or whether to send a document, contact the Commission first.

You can apply online, or by email, post or in person at a Commission office. The fee for 2026-27 is $92.70 and changes on 1 July each year. The Commission cannot process the application until the fee is paid, but you can ask for a waiver if paying would cause serious financial hardship. After it receives your application, the Commission will call you to discuss your case.

If you feel unsafe at work right now, put your safety first; the paperwork can wait. Kirokune keeps your notes, photos and imported messages in one case on your iPhone, in time order, so you can pick examples by date. It does not decide what happened or give legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply to the Fair Work Commission for bullying after I've left the job?
Not with Form F72. The Fair Work Commission says you cannot apply if you no longer work for the employer where you believe the bullying was taking place, because the application is about behaviour that may continue. If you have left, find independent legal advice about other options.
How much does it cost to apply for a stop bullying order?
The Fair Work Commission application fee for 2026-27 is $92.70, and it changes on 1 July each year. If paying would cause serious financial hardship, you can ask for the fee to be waived online or with Form F80.
Is performance management workplace bullying?
Not when it is reasonable management action carried out in a reasonable way. The Fair Work Commission gives a performance improvement plan as an example of action that may be reasonable. Form F72 asks whether performance management or disciplinary action has started, so set out those dates separately.

Sources

A clipboard with a blank checklist form, a pen and a stack of note cards

Kirokune helps you keep a record. It does not diagnose, decide what happened, or give legal advice.