Workplace harassment is a
serious problem that can negatively affect workers' physical and mental health
as well as the image and financial success of the business. In order to stop
and address workplace harassment, HR has a significant role to perform.
The degree of illegality
in harassment is not defined based on minor slights, irritations, and isolated,
unimportant incidents. The behavior must produce an environment at work that
would be intimidating, hostile, or offensive to reasonable people in order for
it to be illegal. Illegal behavior spreads over a broad area and can include
offensive jokes, racial or ethnic insults, insults or put-downs, offensive
objects or images, as well as physical attacks, threats, and intimidation. Even
deliberate interference with job success can be considered harassment.
In workplaces, more often women become targets of verbal and physical harassment than men. However, both men and women are mainly harassed by the ones of the opposite sex.
Source: https://etactics.com/blog/sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace-statistics
But there are some recorded cases that experienced harassment by people of the same gender. The factors such as Race, gender identity, and sexual orientation can be an object of harassment.
- According to (NPR, 2017) back in October 2017, women took to social media to share their experiences of sexual harassment. 38% of all women said they’ve experienced sexual harassment at work.
- As per the findings of Urbanic & Associates (25), one out of every three women who are employed and below 35 years of age has encountered sexual harassment in the workplace at least once. Around 1 in 10 of these harassments have happened by a female harasser.
- As stated in (Scott, 2021), out of women who experience harassment, 13% were women and 97% were men. Out of the men who face harassment, 68% of them were subjected to it by women, while 57% of them experienced it from other men.
Effects of the pandemic
During the covid 19 pandemic season, many people started to work from home, and because of this human interactions decreased. Therefore, we can assume that the harassment percentage may also get decreased. But the opposite happened during the pandemic. Though people didn’t meet face-to-face, it was easier to make inappropriate remarks in an online mode more privately.
According to the Rights of women( 2017), the pandemic did not prevent these situations from occurring it only increased them as they moved online. 23% of women reported an increase in online harassment during the pandemic. Also, 29% of women who reported incidents said that the pandemic negatively impacted the response. The report indicates that 45% of women who were targeted as victims reported that the harassment occurred remotely, such as through channels like email, text messages, social media, video conferencing platforms, or phone calls.
Outcomes and Costs of Harassment
Harassments that happen inside a workplace affect both employees and employers. Most of the time, harassment victims tend to have mental health-related concerns after facing an incident. This could often lead them to take vacations or some of them to quit their jobs. This has a major impact on the company.
Other than the above-mentioned personal effects on a person who faced harassment, all the workers in a workplace may be affected by this kind of report. As a consequence, productivity will get decreased and turnover rates will increase. Also, if any of these reports get public company's reputation will be harmed, and as a result, people may reluctant to join the company.
Source:https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00495/survey-finds-harassment-a-problem-for-one-in-three-japanese-workers.html
HR's role in controlling workplace harassment.
1.
Planning
training
The role of HR in preventing harassment includes planning and scheduling effective training for all staff members and leaders. All employees should routinely receive effective and current anti-harassment training, sexual harassment prevention training, and guidance on how to handle sexual harassment. In this way all the employees and leaders get aware of different types of harassment and also employees can get to know when they are verbally harassed by someone else. It is recommended to use live, interactive demonstrations as one strategy. Senior management should publicly support the training.
2. Update company policies on workplace harassment
A business needs to have a thorough policy in place regarding workplace harassment. Companies should regularly evaluate, revise, and update their internal policies and procedures, particularly those that deal with workplace harassment. Establishing and sustaining culture that forbids abuse of any form requires awareness and open communication. HR people of an organization should be able work on these policies and refine them accordingly.
Some items harassment strategy ought to cover are:
- That all workers, regardless of level, as well as potential employees, clients, and customers are covered.
- Encourages staff to report questionable behavior, even if it doesn't quite qualify as harassment.
- provides an easy-to-understand explanation of prohibited behavior.
The fact that the courts frequently show leniency toward employers who show a clear commitment to eliminating harassment is an additional advantage of well-communicated policies and thorough training procedures.
3. Having a clearly stated plan for the reporting of any form of harassment.
HR people can make sure that the company has a reliable method in place for filing complaints so that employees can do so quickly with confidence. Employees should have the utmost confidence that prompt, unbiased, thorough, and confidential inquiries will always be conducted.It is important for workers to know that reporting harassment will not result in reprisal, which is against the law in and of itself. Employees must feel safe reporting claims of harassment by top managers and executives without fear of retaliation or punishment.
4. Minimize the fear of retaliation.
Keeping the victim and the accused harasser apart can be a top priority in harassment cases. The goal of HR's harassment prevention efforts should be to reassure staff members that reporting harassment won't result in retaliation. Speaking up can be hindered by a victim's dread of retaliation, even unintentional retaliation. The sufferer might be afraid of losing their job. They might also have to deal with additional issues at work as a result of their official complaint. These reprisals may actually serve as real deterrents in fostering a polite workplace.
5. Getting Professional Help with HR Management
Take the necessary time to comprehend the law and prioritize the relevant policies and procedures. By doing so, you will ensure compliance. To maintain HR compliance and boost your company's cost-effectiveness, it's important to also explore outsourcing options. One possible solution is to enlist the help of a professional agency like Accuchex, which can provide valuable assistance with a range of Human Resources needs and inquiries.
References:
1. NPR. (2018, February 21). A New Survey Finds Eighty Percent of Women Have Experienced Sexual Harassment. Accessed on March 11, 2023, Available at https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/21/587671849/a-new-survey-finds-eighty-percent-of-women-have-experienced-sexual-harassment
2.Urbanic and Associates. (n.d.). 4 Shocking Statistics About Workplace Sexual Harassment. Accessed on March 11, 2023, Available at https://urbaniclaw.com/4-shocking-statistics-about-workplace-sexual-harassment/
3. Scott, L. (2021, March 18). The Shocking Statistics Behind Sexual Assault and Harassment in Corporate America. Marker. Accessed on March 11, 2023, Available at https://marker.medium.com/the-shocking-statistics-behind-sexual-assault-and-harassment-in-corporate-america-e899a84de078
4. Rights of Women. (2021, February 11). Rights of Women survey reveals online sexual harassment has increased as women continue to suffer sexual harassment whilst working through the COVID-19 pandemic. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://rightsofwomen.org.uk/news/rights-of-women-survey-reveals-online-sexual-harassment-has-increased-as-women-continue-to-suffer-sexual-harassment-whilst-working-through-the-covid-19-pandemic/
A good topic written on sexual harassment, and I think that this part is crucial and needs to undergo ways to control harassments in the workplace so that employees can work happily and will stay working in the company.
ReplyDeleteCertainly, sexual harassment in the workplace is a critical issue that affects the well-being and job satisfaction of employees. Employers have to play a key role to create a safe and comfortable work environment for all employees.
DeleteYour article discusses the role of human resources in controlling and preventing workplace bullying. The article begins by noting that workplace harassment can negatively affect the physical and mental health of workers, as well as the image and financial success of a business. The degree of illegality of harassment is defined as conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile, or hostile environment for employees, which may include physical attacks, insults, put-downs, offensive objects or images, and offensive jokes. The article emphasizes that HR must work to establish and maintain a culture that prohibits abuse of any kind through awareness and open communication. When HR implements these strategies, it helps create a safe and productive workplace environment and avoid negative outcomes such as decreased productivity, increased turnover rates, and damage to the company's reputation. Very useful article. Highly appreciated your effort...!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your feedback, I'm glad to hear that you found the article helpful.
DeleteHR plays a critical role in creating a safe and welcoming workplace for all employees. And HR can help prevent and address sexual harassments in the workplace. Interesting article.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your feedback. HR indeed plays a critical role in creating a safe and welcoming workplace for all employees, and preventing and addressing sexual harassment is an important aspect of this role.
DeleteResearch closely associates sexual harassment with job dissatisfaction and disengagement. Other consequences of sexual harassment that affect the workplace are tardiness, absenteeism, project neglect, and employee distraction. A safe and healthy workplace not only protects workers from injury and illness, it can also lower injury/illness costs, reduce absenteeism and turnover, increase productivity and quality, and raise employee morale. In other words, safety is good for business.
ReplyDeletewhen read the overall article you show the all points of sexual arrestment how to effect to the employees and employer. great and interesting article .
A person's mental and emotional health, as well as their ability to perform successfully at work, can all be significantly impacted by sexual harassment, which is a major issue. To address and prevent sexual harassment, firms must have a clear policy in place, and human resources must play a significant role in putting this policy into practice and upholding it. Good work !
ReplyDeleteSexual harassment frequently goes unreported. Victims are discouraged from reporting incidents of sexual harassment due to not being believed and in some cases those who engage in such behaviour go unpunished. Sexual harassment cases at work frequently result in negative press for the organisation.
ReplyDelete