Sexual harassment not only has the power to ruin lives, it can also ruin businesses. That’s why it is important to create a workplace environment that reduces the likelihood of any inappropriate behavior. If a harassment charge does occur, make sure your managers and HR know how to handle it appropriately and effectively.
Sexual harassment is defined as behavior characterized by the making of unwelcome and inappropriate sexual remarks or physical advances in a workplace or other professional or social situation. While many victims are women, sexual harassment can happen to anyone.
All organizations, regardless of size, are at risk of workplace harassment allegations. Construction companies may be at particular risk, given that it is largely a male-dominated industry. Those that do not have a formal, written policy and provide regular anti-harassment training are at the greatest risk. Even those with policies and training in place need to examine the relevancy of the policy and the effectiveness of the training on a regular basis.
Every written policy needs to cover all possibilities of workplace harassment. This includes men and women of all sexual orientations and those who are gender binary or do not identify. It is this later group that many organizations have not yet included in their policies, especially if the document has not been revised in the past five to ten years.
With all types of harassment policies, accountability is key. Leadership needs to create an environment where people can speak out without fear of retaliation or breaches in confidentiality.
It is not enough to have a written policy or require all employees to view a video on sexual harassment. All leaders need to be trained in ways to handle difficult situations and the correct way to report an incident.
Managers need to neutralize potential bad behavior before something happens. This includes engaging in frequent communication with team members about the workplace environment to determine if there are any warning signs. If any red flags are mentioned or witnessed, the manager needs to have direct and honest conversations that can prevent a formal complaint from happening.
Creating a culture of open and confidential communication will not only help prevent sexual harassment in the workplace but will also create an environment where your teams feel safe and heard. This can have huge benefits in all aspects of their work and, of course, your company’s bottom line.
