Standing Up for A Safer Work Environment

Stopping Work Place Harassment 

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center, NSVRC, states, "Over 85 percent of people who experience sexual harassment never file a formal legal charge and approximately 70 percent of employees never even complain internally."

This issue is all too prevalent in our society. Women and men waking up going to their 9 to 5 just like the rest of us and having to experience being degraded and disrespected by a customer, patients, even coworkers. Our society has a culture of keeping matters of sexual harassment in the workplace a little too hush hush. Attempting not to disturb the peace or make the company look bad. Businesses need to stand up for their employees and make an active change to prevent cases of harassment. Companies need to address sexual harassment by implementing clear policies to staff, requiring mandatory trainings, and fostering an environment of accountability where employees feel safe to speak up for themselves. 

Women are often seen as sexual objects and experience degradation due to how careless others can be. It is seen in many different lines of work from snack shack employee in a bowling alley (my own personal experience there) to nursing, a women dominated profession we would be lost without. 

In an article discussing the impact on nurses of the 2017 #MeToo movement, Peggy Ward highlights, "Sexual harassment in nursing has been an issue prior to the term being defined,...Sexual harassment in nursing may occur from patients, peers, or supervisors. It has been defined as anything from offensive jokes to inappropriate touching".

We Need Change. 

We all know what crossing the line is, what behaviors are considered too far. Some people ignore these boundaries, speaking and acting inappropriately, neglecting regard for the impact on others. Businesses need to take a proactive account to prevent employees from coming victims of sexual harassment at work. There needs to be clear written out policies that explain specifically what is considered sexual harassment. Crude comments, unwanted gestures or touching, offensive verbal or physical conduct, and more. Companies need to clearly state in their code of conduct what is prohibited signed by all employees and managers involved. They should be easily accessible to all employees at all times. 

Harassment laws need to be strictly implemented. In small business these laws can slip through the cracks leaving employees to suffer. The U.S Equal Employment Opportunity (EEOC) is a federal agency that enforces the laws prohibiting discrimination in the workplace including sexual harassment. The Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, and national origin. These protections must be enforced to safeguard employees and ensure accountability for employers. There are opinions that these policies implemented in businesses should not be governmental policies. Having government policies protects employees and employers by establishing clear standards to all in the work place. They keep employees from being afraid to speak up. Having policies be strictly made by companies risks silencing victims or witnesses because that policy was made by the business for the business. Government policies allow all workers to be protected under the same protocol. 

EEOC

Harassment creates a hostile environment; employees need to know they have a place they can go to for help if needed. Federal policies need to be implemented in companies to protect the rights of staff and show the real consequences for their actions. Government laws reinforce what we should already know as a society upholding the respect for one another at work and outside of work.  

The NSVRC states, "nationwide 81% of women and 43% of men reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime". Navigating a world of jobs dominated by men, low wages, and a culture of not speaking up, it makes it extremely hard for employees to protect themselves. The BE HEARD act of 2021 extends protection to all workers. "The Bringing an End to Harassment by Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination in the Workplace Act offers a landmark set of reforms to fully address and prevent all forms of unlawful workplace harassment and discrimination, including sexual assault". This bill aims to break down walls for employees and encourage transparency and accountability. These policies ensure staff has the support they need to speak up if they experience sexual harassment at work.

BE HEARD

Many companies have mandatory trainings for employees before starting with the business. These mandatory trainings need to be implemented telling employees what is accepted and what is not. Trainings that focus on recognizing what specifically is sexual harassment will have everyone on the same page so there are no mistakes. Trainings can allow companies to explain what a respectful work environment is. 

Trainings can tell employees that if they witnessed something they should speak up. The culture at work has to be inclusive and fair for everyone. Any bystanders involved in situations that did not stand up for what is right for their fellow employees should be held accountable as well.  

Creating a healthy environment among employees starts with administration and managing. Companies need to allow resources to their staff at all times and promote a respectful culture in the workplace. Human resource teams can do a lot of employees in these situations and should be heavy involved with company's staff. There cannot be any fear of a business retaliating against an employee for reporting an experience of sexual harassment at work. People should feel comfortable to report a situation in which they felt uncomfortable at work and businesses need to take action to prevent future situations. 

We need to shift the culture norms and support a society where people are not harassed at work simply because coworkers or customers are bored and say whatever they want. It starts with people having respect for others and our basic human rights, then to the companies to reenforce those rights protecting their staff. It is time to break the silence, support those affected, and commit to further improvement in our work environments. 

We need change. Start now.