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What is Harassment?

January 31, 2018 Discrimination Labor & Employment Blog

In light of all of the attention that is now being focused on issues relating to harassment and the #metoo movement, employers that do not take time to review policies and train employees may be at a disadvantage if claims ever arise. It is now more important than ever for employers to develop a better understanding of what constitutes harassment in the workplace, as well as how to prevent, recognize, and respond to harassment. Sexual (and other) harassment training is not just about reviewing company policies and telling employees how to report complaints. Training should be tailored for the specific workforce, in person, and promote respect and civility. It should be geared to help employees at all levels in an organization recognize harassment and when others are uncomfortable. In addition, employees that are responsible for receiving, investigating, and responding to complaints should be trained on how to properly fulfill these duties.

Harassment can occur both inside and outside of the workplace. Certain forms of harassment, such as a woman walking down the street getting cat-called by a stranger, do not implicate the workplace at all. However, if that same woman works for a construction company and is walking past other employees of the organization when she is cat-called by them, the same conduct may be workplace harassment and actionable. For more details on what is actionable harassment, see our October 14, 2016 blog post. Not all harassment is immediately obvious, and answering the question “what is harassment?” can sometimes be a difficult task. Are you able to recognize it?

Friends star David Schwimmer and writer and director Sigal Avin released several short videos that reflect different types of harassment in society, including three that involve workplace harassment. These videos start innocent enough but develop into awkward and uncomfortable situations. At the end of this post is a link to one of these videos. Test yourself, watch the video, and consider the following questions:

Are you able to recognize when the harassment begins?

Can you identify the non-verbal and verbal cues that the employee is giving to indicate that she is not comfortable with the interaction?

Do you think that others in your organization would be able to recognize these cues?

Jennifer Fowler-Hermes
jfowler-hermes@williamsparker.com
941-552-2558