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The Fair Work Commission has chastised a supervisor who did nothing to stop an employee from being bullied, finding he failed to "model and enforce" respectful workplace behaviour.

"One can choose to ignore or tolerate poor behaviour in the workplace but there are real consequences when that occurs," Commissioner Tim Lee said, adding a quote from philosopher John Stuart Mill: "Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing."

In seeking stop-bullying orders, the Team Global Express employee claimed that early last year, a colleague grabbed his bum, poked him in the face with his finger, called him a "dick head" and a "dog", and put his fist into his face in a threatening way.

The employer investigated the employee's allegations at the time, substantiated most of them, and gave the colleague a written warning. It also placed the employee and colleague at different ends of the distribution centre, to minimise their interactions...