Unreasonable and vexatious complaints: a guide for school leaders
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 131 No 2, 2 April 2026, page no 20.
The QTU receives many concerns from school leaders about the challenges of managing unreasonable and abusive parents and carers. This consumes significant time and generates considerable stress. The physical and psychosocial wellbeing of you and your team are the responsibility of the employer, and must be protected.
Following a successful QTU campaign in 2023, updates have been made to the Managing Unreasonable Complainant Conduct Procedure (MUCC) and the Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice.
The QTU continues to raise these matters with the department, as the employer has a responsibility to protect you from the known risks of psychosocial injury arising from unreasonable or vexatious complaints.
An unreasonable complaint is one that, due to its nature or frequency, creates significant health, safety, resource, or equity issues for staff (e.g. excessive communication, inappropriate demands, aggressive behaviour). A vexatious complaint is one made without sufficient grounds or primarily to cause annoyance or harm, rather than to address a legitimate issue.
Where a complaint meets one or both definitions, it should be escalated through the MUCC process. Maintain thorough records, as documentation is essential to justifying actions and supporting regional decision-making.
- Communicate early and in writing: Clearly outline expectations, unacceptable behaviours, and potential consequences of such conduct.
- Set boundaries: Establish and enforce boundaries for communication. This may include limiting frequency and mode of contact (e.g. written communication only). Principals are entitled to conduct school business without disproportionate time spent on individuals. Establishing these boundaries will enable you to protect your own psychosocial wellbeing and that of your staff.
- Seek advice and support: Escalate these matters to regional office where support is required and seek advice from your region. If the advice and support are inadequate, contact the QTU.
- Consider termination of contact: If the behaviour continues, seek advice from your QTU Organiser and consider a request for termination of contact. This is allowable under the MUCC procedure but must be approved by the regional director. We can support you in this process and advocate on your behalf
- Notify the complainant: If approved, you will need to inform the complainant in writing that their conduct has been deemed unreasonable or vexatious and that contact will be terminated. Region should guide you in this process and assist you in specifying reasons, as well as any conditions under which contact may be reinstated.
If a complainant’s conduct creates an immediate unacceptable risk of harm, cease the MUCC process and follow the Managing Inappropriate and Hostile Conduct Procedure. It is not unreasonable to call the police if you, your staff, students, or members of the community are being threatened, a complainant is becoming aggressive or unreasonable, or they refuse to leave school grounds.
Psychosocial hazard management
Under the Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice 2022, unreasonable or vexatious complaints are a recognised psychosocial hazard. The Department of Education is obliged to address these risks.
The Code of Practice identifies the following psychosocial hazards that must be addressed by the employer:
- Unreasonable behaviour: behaviour that a reasonable person, having considered the circumstances, would see as unreasonable, including behaviour that is victimising, humiliating, intimidating, or threatening.
- Poor support: tasks or jobs where workers receive inadequate emotional and/or practical support from supervisors and/or co-workers; inadequate training or information to support their work performance; or inadequate tools, equipment, or resources to do the job.
- Bullying: the making of vexatious allegations against a worker, spreading rude, inaccurate, or malicious rumours about an individual.
The Code of Practice also outlines the need for:
- Risk assessment: regularly assessing the psychosocial risks associated with handling complaints and identifying measures to mitigate these risks.
- Support systems: implementing support systems such as counselling services, stress management programs, and opportunities for staff to report and discuss their concerns without fear of retribution.
- Preventive measures: encouraging a positive workplace culture that includes clear policies on acceptable behaviour and provides training on conflict resolution and stress management.
Where these obligations are not met, there may be grounds for WorkCover claims, redress, and remedy. The QTU can provide further advice and support.