Policies on Harassment at Work
Check your policies on harassment at work.
There is a deluge of sexual abuse and misconduct stories in the news right now, celebrity names are emerging daily accused of having abused their position of power. It’s a problem that occurs across all industries, sectors and walks of life – it can happen anywhere, to anyone. Now the celebrities are being named it’s only now this issue is snowballing and getting so much media time.
Harvey Weinsten’s name will always be synonymous with sexual harassment and disgraceful conduct towards women, to say the very least. It’s an age old issue that over half of women say they’ve been subjected to; a quarter of men say they too have been victims of sexual misconduct!
According to a new survey from Sky data, their poll revealed, ‘more than half of women have been victims of sexual harassment – with over three in ten stating that they had been sexually harassed at work.’
Sexual abuse in the workplace is an issue that HR departments have been grappling with for years. David Southall, an employment law Consultant for the ELAS Group, explains the stance that business leaders and HR departments have to take in order to eradicate the abuse: “All employers should have an Equal Opportunities Policy,” and “should have clear and comprehensive Harassment and Grievance Policies.
A key point here is that it’s not as straightforward as just having the policies in place – to effectively tick that box. There needs to be a process that employees are aware of, outlining the steps an employee needs to take if they find themselves victim to inappropriate conduct at work.
Here are some guides on making sure you have your policies and procedures in place – for employers and employees.
It’s a good time to check your company policies and processes are in order and up to date to handle any concerns an employees might have.
Dealing with bullying & harassment :
References:
HR Grapevine
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