Harassment in the Work Place

Harassment in the workplace is an insidious and destructive practice. If allowed to continue it can have negative consequences on the team and legal consequences for the manager and the organization.

In this article, I want to discuss what harassment is and things that new managers and supervisors should do to address it. This article does not offer legal advice. If you suspect someone of bullying in your organization, you need to seek out your HR and legal departments to determine what actions to take.

So, what is Harassment? 

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission defines it as:

“…unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. Harassment becomes unlawful where 1) enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or 2) the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive. Anti-discrimination laws also prohibit harassment against individuals in retaliation for filing a discrimination charge, testifying, or participating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or lawsuit under these laws; or opposing employment practices that they reasonably believe discriminate against individuals, in violation of these laws.”

While this is a legal definition of what constitutes harassment, I would add that it is any conduct that makes a member of your team feel threatened regardless of reason.

It amazes me that adults can act petty and childish. However, the reality is that in any group dynamic there will be those who feel the need to intimidate others. 

What are the causes of harassment? 

Being aware of why people feel the need to harass others can help to determine what steps we can take to minimize occurrences in our workplace.

Often harassment is merely a matter of insecurity on the harasser’s part. People act out against others based on a feeling that their interest or beliefs are under attack. For instance, a fear of job security may trouble and older employee as they fear that they may lose their job to a younger employee. A person of one race may feel threatened by misperceptions or prejudices against a person of another race.

Sometimes harassment is the result of one party wanting to exert control over another party. Sexual harassment is a clear case where a person uses their position to try to force another person into a sexual relationship. 

Forms of Harassment

When most people think of harassment, they think of sexual harassment. While this is a big problem, it is not the only form of harassment that can occur in the workplace. Harassment can also take the forms of bullying, exclusion, employees sabotaging the work of others, and frivolous complaints against others as examples.

Regardless, all forms of harassment are destructive. If it is causing dis-harmony on your team, then it needs to be addressed. 

What are the Signs of Harassment? 

There are many signs that harassment is occurring in the workplace:

• Gossip among the work team about individual employees.
• Increase in the number of arguments and disagreements between coworkers.
• Increased tension or irritability among the workgroup
• An increase in employee complaints
• An increase in employee turnover
• Employees are avoiding each other or not wanting to work together
• An increase in absenteeism
• Poor employee morale 

What can you do to mitigate harassment?

 If you suspect any harassment in the workplace, the first thing you need to do is get your HR representative and legal counsel involved right away. Make them aware of your concerns and defer to them as to any legal or disciplinary actions that are needed.

To create a workplace free of harassment here are some things you can do to be proactive:

1. Make it clear to your team that you will not tolerate any form of harassment no matter how minor.
2. Take all complaints of harassment seriously and follow up right away.
3. Create a work team that sees diversity as beneficial by giving praise to those who practice inclusion.
4. Make everyone on your team aware that you are always available if they need to discuss concerns and keep conversations confidential.
5. Still, practice openness with all employees and give positive feedback. It all starts with the leader.
6. Help all employees feel that they are an essential part of the team to keep feelings of insecurity to a minimum. 

Conclusion

Harassment in the workplace is a disease. We must understand what it is, what the symptoms are, and how to create an environment where it will not grow.

Always involve HR and legal when you suspect harassment is occurring. Don’t handle it on your own.

Work to create a workplace that is inclusive and rewards positive behavior. Model the behaviors you wish to see in the workplace. Always make yourself available to your people and stay aware of team interactions.

If you keep yourself aware of what is going on with your team you can take steps to avoid and minimize harassment. It is the manager's job to be aware and create an environment where bullying is not tolerated or allowed.