Sexual harassment is a serious issue that shouldn’t happen in the workplace, as over 80% of women and about 40% of men have encountered it throughout their lifetimes.
(How #METOO is Impacting Sexual Harassment in the Workplace)
There is little justification for sexual harassment to still be an issue in a time when people are growing more conscious of what is and isn’t acceptable. Unfortunately, it still happens everywhere, including at work.
So what exactly can you do to stop sexual harassment? Read on and use these tips to create a superb work environment for the benefit of your team and business.
- Inform and Educate
Sexual harassment prevention is a process rather than an occasion in the workplace. Make sure you have a systematic strategy to give staff members the awareness they require to ensure ethical behavior and the skills necessary to take appropriate action or report problems and issues they see.
Equip managers and supervisors with the knowledge they require. Your managers and supervisors play a crucial role as your first line of defense. Employees frequently imitate these people’s language and attitudes because they engage and have the most impact on them. To enable them to carry out their crucial tasks, they must be provided with the knowledge, resources, and assistance methods.
- Create Several Reporting Channels
It may seem sensible to have an HR department or direct supervisor act as the point of contact for reporting various issues, but what if the human resource personnel or supervisor is the harasser? To guarantee that individuals feel safe expressing a problem so you can understand what’s happening and take action, it is advisable to provide employees with numerous options to do so, including anonymous channels.
- Don’t Stop Talking about it
Make constant speeches regarding harassment, your strict anti-harassment policy, and your support for a safe and welcoming environment. The world is constantly evolving, new laws are being made, and new concepts are being invented based on previous events. Make sure you regularly examine, communicate, and update your sexual harassment rules.
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- Investigate
Investigate any claim as soon as it is made. Make sure the investigation is impartial and exhaustive, and create room for freedom of speech for the reporter and the accused person. Making sure everyone feels safe and secure in the office and fostering an environment that isn’t conducive to harassment are crucial to any company’s success.
- Take Action
Take action when necessary. Employees will be able to tell when problems are underestimated, disregarded, or in any other way neglected. Even though you probably won’t be able to discuss certain things immediately, your quick response will leave a lasting impression on the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace.
You shouldn’t only worry about your employees’ safety in the workplace regarding sexual harassment. Employees may contact vendors, business partners, or customers who intend to harass outside the workplace. To ensure that preventing sexual harassment in the workplace becomes the norm, ensure that your rules and regulations address this issue and that employees know what to do.
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