Although recent advancements have taken place in reporting, identifying, and assisting victims, harassment in the workplace continues to be a very prevalent and tangible problem. Harassment, obscene words, or actions towards another individual, creates a hostile working environment. It is often accompanied by other forms of discrimination such as race, sexual harassment, or other inappropriate actions. If you feel or believe that you have been subjected to harassment in the workplace, whether it is in a senior management position or someone else’s position, or if you have been subjected to a combination of these behaviors, it is vital to take steps to address the situation immediately to prevent the same problems from happening again.
Prevention is the best form of resolution when it comes to harassment in the workplace. Therefore, the first step in addressing harassment in the workplace is to identify behavior that you believe to be harassment, either in person or through written comments or actions. You may need to ask your manager or supervisor for examples of what constitutes harassment and then carry out some follow-up on your own. Some examples of behavior that can be considered harassment include jokes, requests for sexual favors, touching or squeezing another individual, requiring sexual favors, or displaying a sexual image in an un-glamorous way.
In addition to dealing with current incidents of harassment in the workplace, some measures can be taken to prevent future incidents. One of the most immediate measures is to ensure that all members of management are aware of their responsibilities and roles concerning harassment prevention. This includes ensuring that clear procedures and provisions are in place for reporting, investigating, management to take action against harassment in the workplace. This could consist of education, training, and development of employee sensitivity towards sexuality and sexual harassment in the workplace. It would also be wise to educate management about the different types of harassment that could occur and about how these differ from the types of harassment that take place off-line.
Prevention is always better than cure, so it is vital to implement a strategy for preventing harassment and making sure that it does not happen in the first place. Training and education should be provided to employees and supervisors alike to prevent incidents of harassment from happening in the first place. In addition to providing employees with an awareness of their rights, they should also be educated on the repercussions of making an unwanted remark. There should also be policies and procedures to deal with any complaints or reports of harassment being made. This would involve reporting the matter to management, as well as any other parties involved, such as customers or clients.
Once an incident occurs, it is crucial to address the issue through conflict resolution as soon as possible. If possible, it is advisable to talk to the parties involved, make a complaint, and resolve any disputes that may have arisen. If talking is not possible, both parties should put mechanisms to help them address the problem without further harassment. Providing support to the employees involved and the clients or customers can help resolve any conflicts that may arise between employees or clients, which can help prevent the harassment from continuing or getting worse.
Any form of harassment should be addressed and stopped, and the parties should report any incidents of this type to a management team or a conflict resolution professional. It is always best to seek help from professionals, as sometimes the damage has already been done. In addition to seeking legal advice, it is also wise to get the advice of a mental health counselor. As there are often severe implications of harassment, it is imperative that any issues raised be dealt with through conflict resolution as soon as possible because the longer this continues, the more likely it is that the impact will become severe and could lead to long-term mental illness.
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