Workplace harassment can take many different forms. Here’s how to spot some of the most frequent types of harassment, as well as what you should do if you witness it.
Workplace harassment can take the form of physical, verbal, sexual, or emotional abuse.
Workplace harassment affects more than simply women. A victim might be anyone.
If you believe you have been subjected to workplace harassment, notify your human resources department as soon as possible to protect yourself.
This page is intended for employees who believe they or a coworker are being harassed at work, as well as business leaders who wish to safeguard their employees’ safety in the workplace.
Workplace harassment occurs in all types of employment in the United States. From bullying to outright discrimination, understanding workplace harassment is critical if you want to avoid a toxic work environment in your small business. By developing a workplace harassment policy, you can take the necessary steps to ensure that all of your workers work in a safe atmosphere.
While verbal and psychological harassment is the most common sorts, there are also more serious forms, including physical and sexual harassment. Workplace harassment of any kind is unlawful. They not only have an impact on an employee’s productivity, comfort, and safety at work, but they can also expose a company to legal risk if handled improperly.
What exactly is workplace harassment?
Harassment is defined as “offensive jokes, slurs, epithets, or name-calling, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule or mockery, insults or put-downs, offensive objects or pictures, and interference with work performance.”
Harassment occurs in a variety of situations, including the following:
- The harasser could be the victim’s supervisor, another supervisor, an employee of the employer, a coworker, or a non-employee.
- The victim does not have to be the person harassed; anyone affected by the objectionable behavior could be the victim.
- Unlawful harassment might occur without causing economic harm or discharging the victim.
First and foremost, knowing when you are being harassed at work is crucial, according to Becca Garvin, the executive search consultant at Find Great People. Workplace harassment is a severe problem with many gray areas. It is your responsibility to report a crime or harassment in the workplace if you witness it. If you’re concerned about being fired in retribution, keep in mind that you’re protected by workplace harassment rules.
“Not only are you protected [by law] from the person harassing you, [but] you are also protected from your employer failing to protect you,” Garvin explained. “If you know of someone who is being harassed at work, you cannot lose your job by reporting it yourself.”
Physical evidence of workplace harassment may or may not exist. Understanding what is going on with you can help you bring up the topic with the HR department.
Workplace Harassment Types
Workplace harassment can take various forms, and it is not always obvious. Knowing the many forms of workplace harassment might help you spot it when it occurs to you or a coworker.
Harassment verbally
Verbal harassment can be a never-ending battle that endangers your health and job. It includes derogatory statements, offensive gestures, and unjustified criticism. It can include insults, slurs, inappropriate jokes, and harsh comments.
Because it is a nonphysical form of violence, verbal harassment can be difficult to identify and is frequently a gray area.
“Often, yelling, cursing, or making inappropriate remarks or jokes about a coworker is viewed as a case of personality conflict and not as harassment,” said Chris Chancey, founder, and CEO of Amplio Recruiting.
Harassment on a psychological level
Psychological harassment is similar to verbal harassment in that it uses exclusionary strategies such as withholding facts or gaslighting. According to Chancey, the goal of these activities is to mentally break down the victim, chip away at their self-esteem, and undermine them.
“Behaviors such as taking credit for someone else’s achievement, making impossible demands, imposing unreasonable deadlines on a specific employee, constantly requiring an employee to perform demeaning tasks that are outside of their job scope, or persistently opposing everything someone says may not appear to be harassment,” he said.
Cyberbullying (cyberharassment)
Although digital harassment occurs online, it can be just as harmful as in-person abuse. It is the most recent kind of harassment and can be found in a variety of settings.
“[Digital harassment] includes] posting threats or demeaning comments on social media, creating a fake persona to bully someone online, creating a webpage about the victim to mock and belittle them, and making false allegations online,” said Sheri Mooney, CEO and president of Mind Squad HR.
Given the prevalence of internet-connected gadgets in the workplace and the acceptance of discussion of taboo topics, Chancey believes it is now easy for anyone to digitally harass others.
“People tend to be braver – which, unfortunately, includes being meaner – behind a screen,” Garvin added. “The good news about online harassment is that it is easily documented and proven.” This is quite helpful in reporting and confirming it.”
Garvin suggested capturing screenshots, saving emails on your personal computer, and creating a dossier of everything that makes you uncomfortable to monitor the situation.
Harassment on the physical level
Physical harassment in the workplace can take various forms. Mooney stated that they might range from minor unpleasant gestures such as touching an employee’s clothing, hair, face, or skin to more severe gestures such as physical assault, threats of violence, and property destruction.
It might be difficult to recognize because of the varying degrees of physical harassment. Chancey stated that some physical harassment may be dismissed as a joke if no bodily harm is done.
“If an employee routinely shoves, blocks, and kicks a coworker, but the victim is never hurt as a result of the shoves and kicks, this may not be considered harassment, especially if done by a supervisor or another high-performing employee.”
Even if no serious bodily harm is caused, it is still termed physical harassment. If a scenario develops violent, staff should phone 911 immediately and refrain from intervening.
Sexual assault
Sexual harassment is a serious infraction that occurs more frequently than you might imagine. According to a McKinsey survey, 35% of female respondents have experienced workplace sexual harassment. Furthermore, it is a common crime that is not limited to women. Sexual harassment can be perpetrated or experienced by anyone.
Unwanted sexual advances, such as inappropriate touching, sexual jokes, exchanging pornography, sending sexual messages, or requiring sexual favors in exchange for a promotion or job stability, are examples of sexual harassment. Although identifying sexual harassment may appear simple, it is not always so.
“Sexual harassment in the workplace is seldom egregious,” Chancey added. “Most of the time, it is hidden behind mild banter, inoffensive comments accompanied by sexual gestures or tones, or awkward but seemingly innocuous statements that portray people of a particular gender – usually women – in a negative light.”
This creates a gray area in which criminals can easily get away with their actions. Mooney stated that many victims do not want to draw attention to themselves, so they keep it to themselves, hoping that things will improve. Some victims are fearful of repercussions, including job loss, if they disclose the harassment. If, on the other hand, someone is creating a hostile work atmosphere and making you feel uneasy, you should report it.
Why is it vital to report workplace harassment?
Money emphasized the significance of reporting any sort of workplace harassment because comparable actions by the same person (or group of people) may have already been reported. And if no one has reported it yet, it is even more crucial to bring it to HR’s attention. You never know how many people were affected by that culprit, whether or not they choose to report it.
Many businesses have established protocols in place for reporting workplace harassment. Check your employee handbook or, if you are determined to report, ask your HR department how to proceed.
How to Complain About Workplace Harassment
If your employer does not have a formal reporting process in place, the following are some steps you can do in a nonviolent situation:
- Try to handle the matter immediately with the perpetrator if the harassment does not entail physical assault. Approach them privately and explain why you believe you are being harassed. If the situation appears to be too dangerous, your first goal should be to keep yourself safe.
- Consider reporting the problem to your immediate management, unless your manager is the culprit. If your attempts to resolve the situation with the harasser fail, bring it to the notice of HR. Provide documentation, such as screenshots, messages, emails, and eyewitness reports, if possible. To guarantee that everything is documented, if your organization employs HR software, file complaints through the relevant site.
- If you believe that your managers, HR, or corporate management did not adequately handle your matter, contact the EEOC, which can conduct an impartial investigation. Some large municipalities and metro regions, such as New York City, have their own laws and regulatory organizations governing workplace behavior, in which case a victim may file a claim with that municipality.
What to avoid when confronted with workplace harassment
According to Chancey, when dealing with workplace harassment, you should avoid certain behaviors. These errors may worsen the situation or place you in a risky position.
- Do not respond in kind. Retaliation can aggravate the situation and often complicates problems. Instead, correctly escalate the matter and delegate responsibility to your HR specialists.
- Do not vent to coworkers. Your colleagues have little clout and will almost certainly water down your account of events if summoned to testify. Also, keep in mind that your coworkers all have distinct relationships with one another. You never know how that individual feels about the perpetrator, and you risk muddying the waters if you speak harshly about them (even if it is justified).
- Do not remain silent. Any sort of harassment should always be reported and dealt with appropriately. Staying silent will not make the perpetrator’s behavior stop. All acts of harassment must be reported, and all complaints must be thoroughly investigated.
Workplace harassment legislation
While successful policy begins with business owners’ actions, there are federal and state laws that protect employees from workplace harassment. The federal government’s obligation that all firms provide equal employment opportunities to all Americans is a well-known example. This is typically detailed towards the end of job advertising and applications, with an “equal opportunity employer” part highlighted.
Other workplace harassment legislation includes:
- The Equal Pay Act of 1963 makes it illegal for firms to pay men and women different wages even if they perform the same amount of labor in the same workplace.
- Discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It also protects victims and others who report crimes in or out of the workplace.
- According to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, individuals over the age of 40 cannot be discriminated against in the job because of their age.
While these are the most visible examples of discrimination legislation, safe working environments are the consequence of well-planned and consistently implemented individual workplace regulations. Whether you own or work for a small business, do your best to promote and build a positive policy that protects your employees and colleagues. It will safeguard your company from potential liabilities while also creating a safe, welcoming atmosphere that will increase morale and promote employee retention.
These laws should be known not just by you, but also by your personnel. Make an employee handbook so that everyone you hire is aware of your company’s policies against workplace harassment.
