Harassed on the job how to#
Harassed on the job code#

We can help make it easier to communicate acceptable behavior to your employees with our harassment prevention training. It also requires you educate your employees on the different forms of workplace harassment and what they can do to prevent them. It requires you to take a closer look at what’s happening around your office and put yourself in the shoes of all different types of people. Preventing the different types of workplace harassment is an ongoing process. Outline the procedures, investigate the claims – and most importantly – take preventative action. Outline reporting procedures and investigate claimsįinally, you can encourage employees to come forward when they feel they are experiencing workplace harassment. The training can also reinforce the guidelines you’ve set for acceptable behavior and reinforce them with relatable examples. Implement workplace harassment training exercisesĪnother way to help employees understand their role in preventing the different types of workplace harassment is to have them take harassment prevention training.

Harassed on the job code#

Define unacceptable behaviors in official policiesīecause your employee might have differing viewpoints about what makes for a hostile environment, it’s important that you clearly define in your code of conduct or employee handbook what is unacceptable behavior. So the first thing to do is ensure that your top-level executives and managers are setting a good example.

If a manager curses around their employees, the employees could take that as a sign it’s okay for them to curse too. Have the top-level executives set an example

Harassed on the job how to#

Since it’s impossible for you to watch over all your employees, you’ll have to rely on them to understand what’s acceptable behavior, how to handle harassment in the workplace, and what actions to take. Ways to Educate Employees About The Types of Workplace Harassment

Watching pornographic or violent videosįor example, someone might have a comic strip displayed at their workstation and while most people might find the joke funny, someone else might find it offensive and say that it’s creating a hostile work environment.

Showing other people sexually suggestive text messages or emails.

Displaying posters or pictures of a sexual nature.

Wearing clothing with offensive or vulgar language.

Visual is probably the hardest to spot because it’s the most subjective and really requires you to put yourself in the shoes of the other person. So for example, if two coworkers are joking around and one makes an inappropriate hand gesture and someone else sees it, they might feel uncomfortable and even harassed. Many times it doesn’t even have to be directed at the person to be harassment.

Playing music with offensive or degrading language.

Making sexually suggestive facial expressions.

Frequently following or standing too close to a person on purpose.

Unwanted touching of a person or their clothing.

Lewd hand gestures or other gestures meant to convey curse words.

Physical harassment might be a little harder to recognize because it can sometimes be very subtle. How much is harassment costing your company? For example, if one employee forwards an email with a pornographic image, it can circulate to the point where everyone in the office sees it – even if that’s not what the original sender was intending. The biggest thing to watch out for nowadays is technology.

Imitating someone’s foreign accent behind their back.

Making derogatory comments about someone’s disability or age.

Asking about family history of illnesses or genetic disorders.

Repeatedly requesting dates or sexual favors in person or through text.Sending emails with offensive jokes or graphics about race or religion.Here are some instances where it can occur: Verbal or written is probably the most obvious workplace harassment example – and the one you come across most often. Here are three types of workplace harassment, examples, and solutions to help you educate your employees for preventing workplace harassment. And secondly, employees have their own ideas about what it means to behave professionally in the workplace.įor example, one employee might find curse words perfectly acceptable to use in everyday conversations with coworkers while another thinks they are never okay and actually finds them very offensive.Īnd since one of the ways the EEOC defines workplace harassment is creating a hostile work environment, it can be challenging for HR professionals to put themselves in the shoes of all employees and identify every behavior that a reasonable person would say crosses the line into harassment – and that goes doubly for your employees. For one, it’s almost impossible to keep watch over what all your employees are doing. Unfortunately, even the sharpest of HR professionals sometimes miss the many signs and types of workplace harassment.