Everyone in the workplace contributes to the culture of the environment. This is especially true when it comes to harassment and bullying. While unpleasant behavior from a coworker might not rise to the level of being illegal, it can definitely strongly affect the mood at work, which can lead to lower productivity, depressed morale and even losing talented people. When it comes to nipping harassing behavior before it grows, we all have a role to play.
Is It Me?
Most of us would likely shake our heads fervently if someone asked us if we were the problem. But, obviously, in a harassment or bullying situation, someone IS the instigator, even if they feel like they’re just “having fun” or the other person is just “being sensitive.” It’s important to note that intent doesn’t always matter. You might think you’re making a funny joke or that hugging shows you care or provides comfort to another person. If your behavior, however good-intentioned it may be, causes discomfort to a colleague, you’ll want to change course.
Here are things to avoid:
- Making untoward comments or jokes about someone’s appearance, religion, nationality, gender or disability
- These are protected characteristics that are legally safeguarded in many work environments
- Touching someone, even if it feels like a minor gesture, without knowing if the other person is OK with it
- Using aggressive language, making threats or trying to control someone’s actions
- Repeatedly asking someone out for a date after they’ve said no
Be sure to respect others’ requests to stop certain behaviors. Also, focus on how your actions make another person feel, rather than putting all the weight on your own intentions.
No, It’s You
LRN specializes in building ethical business cultures. In a blog post about harassment in the workplace, they wrote that more than a quarter of office workers in the US and the UK have reported experiencing bullying or harassment at some point in their careers. Zippia, a job placement company, found between 54% and 81% of women report experiencing sexual harassment at work, but many don’t escalate it to a manager.
How do you know if you’re being harassed? Consider these questions:
- Does going to work make you feel uncomfortable, especially knowing you’ll be working with a particular person or group?
- Have you said things like, “I don’t like it when you hug me,” or “Please stop making those jokes around me,” yet the behavior is downplayed or continues?
- Have you reported specific behavior to management, but nothing happens?
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces harassment laws. Isolated incidents, simple teasing and offhand comments do not rise to the level of legal action unless they are very serious or occur frequently. However, the EEOC recommends telling a manager even after one occurrence if it made you feel uncomfortable.
Inspired eLearning suggests the following steps to take if you’re experiencing harassment:
- Talk to the perpetrator and try to resolve it through clear communication
- If the harassment continues, report it to a supervisor or HR representative
- If it still isn’t resolved, you can reach out to the EEOC to report it
What Did I Just See?
Harassing or bullying behavior can include and affect people outside the victim and the offender. If you witness worrying behavior, you can absolutely take steps to help correct it. The Office of Congressional Workplace Rights encourages bystanders to take responsible actions.
- Document it, including the date, the people involved and specifics about what you heard or saw
- If you feel comfortable talking to the victim, tell them you witnessed it and are willing to describe what you saw
- Talk to a manager about your concerns
Bystanders can also talk to the perpetrator, giving them an outside perspective on what they witnessed. Sometimes this is enough to stop future poor behavior. Third parties can also diffuse a situation as it’s happening by stepping in actively to say, “This is not cool,” or subtly by pulling either party away with a request for immediate help on something. A bystander’s presence alone can sometimes mitigate the situation without needing to say a word.
A Team Effort
Harassing behavior is always unwarranted, unwanted, and can be unlawful. It affects not only the victim, but the company culture. Managers need to be mindful of encouraging an open-door policy and following up on reported incidents. Colleagues should feel like they can take a positive role in resolving bad behavior. Victims need to have a clear course of action to report harassment, either through a manager or HR department. Finally, we all must self-reflect to make sure we aren’t causing undue stress on our colleagues through our words or actions.
