HR Department
  • Home
  • Did you Know?
  • Our Services
    • NEW: Mediation
    • HR Audit
    • Implementation
    • HR Support Service
    • HR Services
  • Our Experts
  • Testimonials
  • The HR Advisor
  • Contact Us
  • Login

Lay it Bare: How Company Culture Can Help Prevent Workplace Harassment

27/7/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
The recent reports of workplace harassment, especially in the tech industry, are nothing short of appalling.  Some of the biggest tech companies in the world, from Uber to Squarespace, have found themselves at the centre of harassment scandals as more and more people come forward to unveil their traumatic experiences. With a shocking 60% of surveyed women working in tech in Silicon Valley saying they have been subject to unwanted sexual advances, the time for action is long overdue.
 
Let’s be clear, harassment comes in many forms – be it sexual or otherwise – and it is certainly not confined to the tech industry. While the Employment Equality Acts are in place to ensure all employers are obligated to prevent harassment in the workplace, more can be done when it comes to developing a workplace environment that stamps out harassment of all kinds.
 
Being the go-to department for dealing with harassment in the workplace, HR is crucially placed to help companies knock both harassment, and bullying, on the head. Of course there are many ways to tackle this issue – from having harassment policies in place to disciplinary action, however, there’s one aspect of business which is becoming increasingly important when dealing with harassment in the workplace: company culture.
 
So, here are 4 ways in which organisations and HR professionals can promote and uphold a strong company culture that is open, fair, and fosters the necessary conditions to help prevent harassment in the workplace.  

1. Ensure Voices are Heard

Speaking out is often one of the hardest things to do for victims of harassment of any kind. Organisations simply must create a company culture where speaking out about problems or issues, no matter how big or small, is the norm. This relies on HR professionals ensuring that all employees are encouraged to speak their minds and are not afraid to express how they feel.
 
Importantly, what may seem like a small issue to one member of staff may not be for another. It is vital that HR departments realise this to ensure that harassment in all forms is being prevented. Giving employees both the confidence and the platform to talk about issues affecting them at work creates a company culture that promotes fairness and equality. When employees know they have a voice and are being listened to, it’s more likely for them to find the strength to come forward - in turn creating an invaluable company ethos and team spirit.

2. Clear the Grey Areas
 
When it comes to identifying and stopping workplace harassment it is very important that a company, as far as possible, sets out policies that are void of grey areas. This means generating a culture that is always open and crystal clear with what is, and is not, tolerated in the workplace. In turn, each and every employee must know the boundaries which cannot be crossed. One person’s joke may be another person’s insult – HR professionals must always keep this in mind and treat every issue of harassment with the seriousness it deserves. In a nutshell, the clearer an organisations policy is, the less likelihood of grey areas.

3. Keep Check on Positions of Power

Unfortunately, abuses of power are often the cause of workplace harassment. It is vitally important, therefore, that HR professionals make sure to treat all members of staff on a level playing field when it comes to dealing with issues of harassment. Remember, there is a vast array of different types of harassment, which may be hard to detect. For example, not giving someone a promotion due to their age, gender or race, is a form of harassment that HR professionals may not spot at first. So, it is astutely important to keep an eye on the inner goings on of the office, especially the power dynamics, to prevent all forms of harassment. Creating a company culture that bases its management system on respect and fairness throughout its ranks will go a long way to helping stop workplace harassment.
 
4. Promote Diversity
 
Last, but by no means least, harnessing a company culture that both promotes and champions diversity is key to preventing workplace harassment. As businesses diversify more and more, drawing in talent from all over the world has become an essential way for organisations to increase talent acquisition, productivity and profitability. After all, it is only through a diverse workforce that businesses can have a fair, well-measured opinion on the requirements of its customers. Of course, HR professionals need to be aware that a melting pot of cultures and opinions can lead to more workplace clashes and managing this is a crucial aspect of HR nowadays.

Clearly, company culture is not a silver bullet for dealing with workplace harassment. However, upholding a strong company culture that encourages employees to speak up and promotes diversity can go a long way when it comes to tackling workplace harassment. Businesses striving to create the most open, fair and value driven processes they can is no longer an option - it’s a necessity.
 
For more helpful HR tips and advice, CLICK HERE to sign up to our newsletter. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014

    Categories

    All
    Absenteeism
    Agile Management
    Anger
    Annual Leave
    Appointments
    Big Data
    Bullying
    Bullying In The Workplace
    Business
    BYOD
    Collaboration
    Communication
    Company Culture
    Compulsory Retirement
    Conflict Resolution
    Corporate Culture
    Covid 19
    Covid-19
    Cyber Bullying
    Data Protection
    Device Policy
    Digital
    Digital Transformation
    Disciplinary Procedures
    Discrimination
    Diversity
    Dress Code
    Emotional Intelligence
    Employee Benefits
    Employee Diversity
    Employee Engagement
    Employee Performance
    Employee Relations
    Employee Resignation
    Employee Retention
    Employee Rights
    Employee Wellbeing
    Employer Branding
    Employment Contract
    Equality
    Flexible Working Hours
    Freelance
    Freelancer Management
    Freelancing
    Gender
    Gig Economy
    Health And Safety
    Hiring Process
    HR
    HR Automation
    HRLocker
    HR Paper Work
    HR Performance
    HR Tips
    Human Resources
    Incentives
    Inclusion
    Independent Contractor
    In-house
    Innovation
    Intelectual Property
    Intern
    Jargon
    Just Culture
    L&D
    Leadership
    Learning & Development
    Long Term Illness
    Management
    Managers
    McDonalds
    Mediation
    Mentorship
    Millenials
    Motivating Staff
    Music
    Negative Employees
    Office Romance
    Onboarding
    Outsourced HR
    Paid Paternity Benefit
    Parental Leave
    Parenting
    Part Time
    Part-time
    Passive-aggressive
    Paternity Leave
    Paternity Leave Policy
    Pay Gap
    Pensions
    People Operations
    Poaching Employees
    Policy
    Problem Employee
    Productivity
    Profit
    Protected Disclosures Act
    Recruitment
    Redundancy
    Retirement
    Role Of HR
    Salary Transparency
    Sexual Harrassment
    Sick Leave
    Sick Pay
    Sick Policy
    Skills
    Skills Shortage
    Social Media
    Social Media Policy
    Staff Burnout
    Staff Engagement
    Staff Retention
    Staff Training
    Strategy
    Success
    Talent
    Talent Acquisition
    Talent Retention
    Team
    Teamwork
    Tech In HR
    The Jungle Book
    Training
    Trust
    Unfair Dismissal
    Vacation
    Whistleblower
    Work Arrangements
    Working Parents
    Workplace
    Workplace Bullying
    Workplace BYOD Policy
    Workplace Conflict
    Workplace Discrimination
    Workplace Harassment
    Workplace Health
    Work Related Stress
    Zero Hour Contract

    RSS Feed

HR Department, 49 Hollybank Avenue, Lower Ranelagh, Dublin 6, Ireland.
 
Phone : +353 87 852 7723
E-mail: [email protected]

Registered in Ireland under company number 348834

Testimonials

Fallon and Byrne

“As a medium –sized business, we could not justify having an in-house HR person. The HR department provided the perfect solution for us, giving us access to all of the expert advice we needed on an outsourced basis"

READ MORE!
Website by Chevron Studio