OWNER Behaviour Policy

PURPOSE
Professional Holiday Homes (PHH) is committed to providing a fair, consistent and professional service to all owners. PHH also has a legal obligation under Australian Work Health and Safety legislation to provide a safe working environment for its employees, contractors and representatives, including protection from aggressive, abusive or unreasonable behaviour.

This policy sets out the standards of behaviour expected of owners and explains how PHH will manage behaviour that is considered unacceptable and that negatively impacts staff wellbeing, operational effectiveness, or service delivery to other owners.

This policy forms part of the Management Agreement between PHH and the Owner.

RELATIONSHIP TO THE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
Where any matter addressed in this policy is also governed by the Management Agreement, the terms of the Management Agreement prevail.

This policy does not replace or vary contractual obligations. It sets behavioural standards and governs how PHH manages conduct that affects staff, operations, or service delivery.

SCOPE
This policy applies to all Owners and their authorised representatives and covers all forms of communication and interaction with PHH, including but not limited to:

• Email

• Telephone

• Written correspondence

• In-person interactions

• Communications made via social media, online reviews, or to third parties about PHH or its staff

GENERAL PRINCIPLE
PHH staff have the right to carry out their duties without being subjected to behaviour that is threatening, abusive, offensive, or unreasonably disruptive.

Where Owner behaviour interferes with this right, PHH reserves the right to manage Owner contact, impose restrictions, or terminate the Management Agreement in accordance with its terms.

CATEGORIES OF UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR
Unacceptable behaviour falls into two broad categories:

• Aggressive, abusive or offensive behaviour

• General unreasonable behaviour

The examples below are not exhaustive.

AGGRESSIVE, ABUSIVE OR OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOUR
PHH will not tolerate behaviour that causes staff to feel distressed, threatened, intimidated or abused, regardless of the circumstances.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Threats of physical harm or intimidation

• Physical aggression

• Personal verbal abuse including derogatory remarks, insults, rudeness, inflammatory statements or unsubstantiated allegations

• Swearing or aggressive language

• Inappropriate cultural, racial, religious or discriminatory comments

• Written or verbal communication that is hostile, threatening or demeaning

Violence includes not only physical acts, but also behaviour or language, whether written or spoken, that causes staff to reasonably fear for their safety or wellbeing.

GENERAL UNREASONABLE BEHAVIOUR
Unreasonable behaviour may occur where an Owner’s conduct, demands, or persistence places an unreasonable burden on staff, disrupts operations, or impacts PHH’s ability to provide services to other owners.

Behaviour may be reasonable in isolation but become unacceptable due to its frequency, persistence, or refusal to accept outcomes.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Demanding responses within unreasonable timeframes

• Repeatedly contacting PHH about the same issue after a satisfactory response has been provided

• Excessive volume or duration of calls or emails

• Insisting on communicating with a particular staff member who is not managing the matter

• Sending duplicate correspondence to multiple PHH staff

• Persistent refusal to accept decisions or explanations

• Continually questioning or disputing PHH policies, procedures, or decisions, including pricing or booking strategy

• Repeatedly changing the nature or desired outcome of a complaint during or after investigation

• Seeking unrealistic outcomes and persisting until a desired result is achieved

• Repeating historical complaints that cannot be remedied

• Requesting responses outside Business Hours

OPERATIONAL-RELATED BEHAVIOUR
The following may constitute unreasonable behaviour where conduct is persistent, obstructive, or disruptive, particularly where it interferes with staff duties or service delivery. These examples do not replace contractual obligations and must be read subject to the Management Agreement:

• Persistently blocking calendars or attempting to restrict availability in a manner inconsistent with PHH requirements or agreed booking strategy

• Persistently disputing or refusing to cooperate with PHH regarding Owner bookings or availability settings

• Repeated failure to respond to PHH requests for required information

• Persistently failing or refusing to complete required STRA registration steps where applicable

• Persistently disputing or refusing to provide amenities or property standards required by PHH

• Repeated failure to maintain the property, amenities or furnishings to an acceptable standard

• Continual requests for services outside the scope of PHH’s services, particularly after clarification has been provided

PUBLIC AND THIRD-PARTY CONDUCT
The following behaviour is considered unacceptable:

• Making derogatory, misleading or disparaging comments about PHH or its staff to third parties or in public forums, including social media or online reviews

• Contacting PHH to question the composition of guest groups observed via CCTV, including unfamiliar vehicles that may belong to tradespeople, departing guests or other authorised visitors

LEGAL AND COMPLAINTS CONDUCT
Owners are entitled to seek independent advice and raise genuine disputes. However, the following behaviour is considered unacceptable:

• Making repeated, vexatious or bad-faith legal threats

• Instructing legal representatives to engage in conduct intended to intimidate, harass or disrupt PHH staff or operations rather than resolve a genuine dispute

MANAGING UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR
PHH will assess behaviour on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the severity, frequency, context and impact of the behaviour.

Depending on the circumstances, PHH may take one or more of the following actions:

• Issue an informal reminder or warning

• Issue a formal written warning

• Restrict the method, frequency or point of contact for Owner communications

• Require communications to be in writing only

• Terminate the Management Agreement in accordance with its terms

Nothing in this policy requires PHH to follow a graduated process where behaviour is serious, abusive, threatening, or poses a health and safety risk to staff, contractors or guests.

TERMINATION
Repeated or serious breaches of this policy constitute a breach of the Management Agreement and may result in termination in accordance with the termination provisions of that agreement.

OWNER RESPONSIBILITY
This policy is published on the PHH Owner Intranet and forms part of the Management Agreement. Owners are responsible for familiarising themselves with this policy and complying with it at all times.

FINAL NOTE
Nothing in this policy limits PHH’s rights under the Management Agreement, at law, or under applicable Work Health and Safety legislation.