Harassment is a common issue in the workplace. It’s something that can negatively affect both employees and their employers. It can be physical, sexual, or emotional. It can cause employees to feel uncomfortable and unsafe.
All these can prevent them from performing their job duties effectively.
As an employer, you must protect your employees from harassment in the workplace. Besides enhancing productivity at the workplace, you also foster safety.
Designate a Responsible Person in the Office
The first and foremost thing you must do is designate a responsible person in your office. This person should be trustworthy, competent, and appropriate. This person should serve as the first line of defense against harassment in the workplace.
You can use this person to seek help on specific incidents that may arise and report them to the human resource department or your superiors.
Post Warning Signs for Employees and Outsiders
In addition to having an appropriate designated position, you should also post warning signs for employees and outsiders interested in visiting your office. These signs should contain a list of prohibited things at work, including everything from displaying political posters, using cell phones or cellular devices during working hours, and rude behavior.
They also have to include all other rules that employees may not violate without serious consequences, such as losing their jobs. It’s better if these signs are posted at all entrance points at the office.
Give Employees an Escape Plan
Although you’ve posted all necessary rules and warning signs, you should also allow your employees to express any concerns or complaints regarding workplace harassment. You should be open to listening to such concerns and provide your employees with clear answers and solutions without throwing them into a state of panic. It enhances workplace safety.
Do not dismiss the matter out of hand but rather consider it seriously. At times, consider offering legal advice if their complaint has merit.
Don’t Let Workplace Harassment Cross Over into Personal Life
When workplace harassment goes beyond being about work and becomes about personal relationships, it can have serious consequences for both sides. This is because there’s no way to remove it from the business environment without ostracizing the targeted party from the co-workers and superiors, or bosses.
If you are harassed at the workplace and haven’t received any help, you need to talk to legal experts. You only need to search for “workplace harassment attorneys near me” and get help.
Visit Your Employees’ Workplaces Regularly
This is something you should do if you have a high number of employees, even if you don’t have concerns about workplace sexual harassment. Just because one person commits an act of workplace sexual harassment and it’s not reported, it doesn’t mean that it cannot happen again.
Just make sure that you’re vigilant be attentive to anything out of place or different when your employees work. Visiting them at the workplace regularly helps you find out what’s going on during these hours.
Conclusion
You are the boss and responsible for protecting your employees, but you don’t have to be too over-worried if something goes wrong.
As long as you have a sound policy, it’s still legal to take appropriate action when something like workplace harassment takes place. You’ll be able to prevent it from happening again.