Workplace harassment comes in several forms. Whatever its nature may be, it creates an awkward work environment and hampers productivity at large.
To bolster the morale of employees, organizations need to keep the threat of harassment at bay. So, what are the ways to do it? Let’s find out.
Write a Policy Mentioning About the Different Kinds of Harassment
To deal with harassment effectively, companies need to draft a policy mentioning about the different kinds of harassment so that employees can understand the behavior and action that exactly constitute harassment. Note that harassment can be physical, emotional, verbal, and psychological, among others.
Equally important is to re-examine one’s harassment policy and keep it updated. The steps that an organization would have taken 10 years back may not be effective in present times.
As put by Jahir Husain, working with JAMS HR Solutions, one of the leading manpower agencies in the UAE, “It’s is always better to work in tandem with all stakeholders to update work harassment policy time and again and if required build it from scratch. Organizations can study what others are doing and scrap policies that haven’t yielded positive results.”
Organize Training Sessions for Employees
While most organizations have policies in place to deal with workplace harassment, very few actually train employees on what to do when they face harassment. Because of this, most harassments go unreported as the victim doesn’t know what he/she should do in such a scenario.
Therefore, it’s pretty important to organize training sessions regularly for employees on various aspects of workplace harassment. These sessions should be conducted in a manner that’s appropriate for all employee levels, right from frontline workers to executive leadership.
Also, the HR team of the organization should make sure that all employees join these sessions. If employees have varied schedules, then trainings should be conducted in schedules appropriate for them. Soft as well as hard copies of the anti-harassment policy must be distributed among all employees.
Act Immediately Upon Receiving Complaints
To ensure a harassment-free work environment, it’s vital to act immediately upon receiving a complaint. Prompt investigation instills fears in the mind of offenders and establishes you as a caring and thoughtful employer.
It’s vital to explore all aspects minutely before arriving at any decision. As put by S.V. Murugan, associated with a top HR Outsourcing agency in UAE well renowned as JAMS HR Solutions, “During training sessions, employers must make it clear that investigation requires full co-operation from all employees. Also, the mechanism should be established so that there’s complete transparency in the proceedings.”
Create a Conducive Environment for Reporting Harassment
It’s of utmost importance that companies create an environment where the victim can come forward and report about harassment. Often they don’t do so because of fear of retaliation from alleged harassers.
Things can, however, be pretty different if there are culture and environment whereby victims can come forward and register complaints worry-free.
Showing an organization’s dedication to stamping out harassment and building a culture of respect and mutual trust can create a safer and happier workplace for everyone.
