Workplace harassment exists when people in an organization harass and ridicule their fellow colleagues on the basis of their gender, physical appearance, social class, religion or culture.
2. Workplace
harassment exists
when people in an organization harass and ridicule
their fellow colleagues on the basis of their gender,
physical appearance, social class, religion or culture
3. It is not only illegal but
also unethical and all
organizations need to ensure that such
practices are highly discouraged and there
are stringent policies in place for those who
engage in such behavior.
4. Workplace harassment is
Deleterious for your
Business
While businesses today
have centered all their
attention upon fulfilling the goals of the
organization and remaining ahead of
competition, they may sometimes fail to detect
such activities taking place in the organization.
5. This is highly critical
for businesses as it not
only puts their
organization at
financial risk but also
greatly threatens their
goodwill and public
relations. Thus, organizations need to remain alert
and active in not only detecting but also resolving
such behavior before it serves to bring greater loss.
6. There are some simple ways to detect
if there is workplace harassment
taking place inside the organization.
Organizations that can detect such
behavior earlier on can save
themselves from the financial loss as well as the
embarrassment it may bring. Thus, it is always better to be
proactive rather than to react to a particular situation.
So for organizations that wish to remain proactive and
detect if harassment exists within the workplace, here
are some questions to start with:
7. How is the Behavior of the
Top Management?
The behavior and actions
of the top management in
any organization greatly
signifies the kind of culture
that is prevalent in the organization. The top
management tends to set the culture of the
organization and people tend to unconsciously follow
them.
8. if the top management
itself engages in such
behavior such as ridiculing
someone or making
unethical remarks on someone, then it is
guaranteed that the organization breeds a
culture of harassment.
9. Are your Company’s Policies in Place?
Does your organization have
policies against harassment?
Moreover, have these policies
been clearly communicated
within the organization? If no,
then it is most likely that your
organization may be a target of
workplace harassment.
10. This is because if your
employees get the idea that
your company does not take
such issues seriously and do
not bother to devise and
communicate such policies, then
the environment tolerates such
behavior. Thus, it is very
important that not only are your
organization’s policies in place but they are also
effectively communicated.
11. Does your Organization encourage
feedback & Trust?
If your organization does
not encourage a culture
of feedback and trust,
then it is highly likely that
your employees will not
share the good/bad things that are happening in
the organization. Thus, it also increases the
chances that even if such behavior exists, it may
never be reported thereby keeping the top
management unaware of such behavior.
12. For organizations today, focusing on issues like
workplace harassment has become as important as
any other aspect. They need to remain actively
involved in discouraging such behavior and at the
same time serve as an example for others to follow.
