Top Tips to Prevent Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

While most people are aware that sexual harassment at work is against the law, not everyone understands what, exactly, constitutes this type of harassment, or what can be done by leaders and business owners to prevent it. With studies showing that as many as one in three women have been sexually harassed while at work, it’s apparent that this lack of understanding needs to be addressed quickly.

No matter whether you run a venture with hundreds of staff or are a brand new employee, it’s important to be aware of your and others’ rights, and what is and isn’t allowed when you’re on the job. Read on for the lowdown on sexual harassment and how you can prevent it in the workplace today.

Understand What Sexual Harassment Is

Sexual harassment is any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature which makes someone feel humiliated, intimidated, and/or offended, where that reaction is reasonable under the circumstances. This type of behavior in the workplace is unlawful, and can take a variety of forms.

Some examples include:

• Sexually-explicit emails, text messages, posters, screen savers, pictures, and the like
• Staring or leering
• Intrusive questions about someone’s body or private life
• Insults, taunts, comments or jokes which are suggestive or of a sexual nature
• Inappropriate advances on social networking websites or apps
• Unwanted invitations for dates or sexual requests
• Unnecessary familiarity and unwelcoming touching, such as brushing up against someone, hugging them, or kissing them

In addition, any behavior which would be considered an offence under criminal law, such as indecent exposure, physical assault, stalking, obscene communications, or sexual assault, would also all be characterized as sexual harassment. Any of these types of behaviors do not need to be continuous or repeated to be illegal — one-off incidents are just as culpable.

Have Clear Policies and Procedures in Place

To stop these types of issues arising in the workplace, business owners and managers must put clear policies and procedures in place. Prevention of sexual harassment can occur if all employees and workplace contacts understand that such behavior is unacceptable, and if appropriate behavior is modeled by leaders throughout the team.

Sexual harassment policies should include:

• Statements about the organization’s stance on the matter
• Clearly-worded definitions of what constitutes sexual harassment and what is not sexual harassment
• Some specific examples of the wrong types of behaviour, and the places and times where it might happen (e.g. not just at the office but also at work conferences, field trips, in work vehicles and the like)

A policy should state that

• Sexual harassment is against the law
• Note the company’s objectives regarding sexual harassment at work
• Rundown the responsibilities of all managers and staff members
• List the consequences for workers if the policy is breached
• Provide information on how people can make a complaint, seek advice, get help, or take next steps if they’re faced with sexual harassment

It is important for businesses to not just create these types of documents, but to also make sure that they are read and signed off on by all employees and other workplace participants. Owners and managers must also ensure that the policies are discussed as a team, and that enforcement is put in place when needed.

Training Your Staff

Of course, the next step to help combat sexual harassment is for companies to actually train their staff in the area. There are many excellent sexual harassment training activities which can be utilized externally, through a training company, or alternatively run in-house.

For starters, it’s important for supervisors and managers to be put through training sessions at least once per year. These should be separate from employee sessions, and should educate the leaders on the issue of sexual harassment and how to handle any complaints that may occur.

Training sessions for employees should also be conducted at least once every 12 months. In these sessions, workers should learn about:

• Sexual harassment
• Their personal rights and responsibilities
• The rights and responsibilities of the managers and the company they work for
• The in-house policies and procedures for complaining about, and dealing with, sexual harassment

Keep in mind that some states legally require employees to conduct sexual-harassment training, while others strongly encourage it. This varies from state to state, so you will need to find out about the requirements in your area.

Be aware though that even if it isn’t legally required, it is still worthwhile conducting such training. It not only educates all workers and leaders, but also shows that the business took steps to try and prevent sexual harassment if any lawsuits ever arise. As well, organizing training on the topic helps to cultivate a company culture where sexual harassment is neither welcome nor tolerated.

Photo by Mario Azzi