In today’s world, it is important for employers to take a more proactive and hands-on approach when it comes to preventing workplace harassment. So, if you’re an employer, it is one of your major responsibilities to ensure that your workplace is viewed as a safe space by your employees. This goes a long way to ensure that your workers are all given an equal opportunity to succeed.
Additionally, it is also quite beneficial for your company on the legal front. Companies that invest in measures to prevent workplace harassment demonstrate care for their employees’ safety and as such, are less likely to deal with related lawsuits in the future. To get you started, let’s have a look at five helpful tips that can effectively prevent harassment in your workplace.
Create a written harassment policy
In an organization with more than 100 women, there are many who have experienced workplace harassment. While harassment at work isn’t restricted to just one gender, it’s safe to say that these stats are alarming, and companies need to do more to avoid things like this happening at work.
One key step you can take is to create a written harassment policy. Your policy should be clear and describe what is considered harassment. It can also be helpful to provide hypothetical scenarios for further explanation.
Administer training on policy
All employees, including upper management, need to undergo training. This training should address both verbal and physical harassment, but it should not be limited to that. Other, less obvious forms of harassment should also be addressed. To make it accessible employees should have an interface, such as a website or a branded digital package that allows them to continually undergo training on a regular basis.
Establish a complaint procedure
Clearly, defining the procedure for filing a harassment complaint, and communicating this process with employees ensures that they know where to turn in the event of workplace harassment. How you structure your complaint procedure is entirely up to you, however, keep in mind that employees are often not keen on coming forward in situations as sensitive as this.
It’s especially hard since complaint procedures are often seen as too complex or bureaucratic. To avoid this, you should try to make your procedures as simple and straightforward as possible. Not only should it be accessible, but ensure it includes a clearly stated time frame for an investigation to be carried out.
Encourage a culture of openness
Did you know that up to 90 percent of employees that experience workplace harassment never files a formal complaint? Despite companies having complaint procedures in place, most times, employees just don’t feel comfortable enough to formally report workplace harassment.
So, within your organization, you need to ensure that your workplace culture encourages openness from the get-go. Do this by making ensuring that all your employees are aware of their rights within the organization and from a legal standpoint. Also, make sure that the punitive actions to be taken against people found wanting are explicitly communicated to everyone.
Follow-through
Following through is a paramount step because, without this, policies and complaint procedures can easily be regarded as mere suggestions. Ensure that all issues brought to your attention are dealt with as soon as possible. This goes a long way to give your employees confidence in your organization.