With the #MeToo movement reshaping public conversation on sexual harassment many businesses are combing through their policies and familiarizing staff on the plans in place.
At the May Lunch & Learn Series hosted by the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, the room was filled to near-capacity with business owners and chamber members who wished to learn how to better understand, prevent and respond to sexual harassment in the workplace.
Tina Howard, manager for team relations at the South Florida Baptist Hospital, and Steve Bonnell, human resource manager for James Hardie, delved into the complex issue and offered steps for each business to take to ensure their staff is safe at work.
“This is not a new topic, I know most of you have probably heard it many times,” Howard said. “Sexual harassment has never not been a problem. It is at the forefront of conversation lately thanks to social media.”
Many companies already have policies in place to prohibit discrimination. One of the major questions any businesses or staff may have is how to report harassment appropriately. It’s crucial to handle the issue with care. Failure to do so can result in not only shattered lives, but also colossal financial repercussions for the company at fault.
Michigan State University just reached a $500 million settlement with victims of Lawrence G. Nassar, the MSU physician who sexually abused young women. Penn State paid nearly $60 million to the 26 victims of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. Aaron’s Rents, a lease-to-own retail chain, reportedly paid employee Ashley Alford $6 million after her manager was charged with sexual harassment.
“It used to be about women telling their story and it was, ‘Shame on them,’” Howard said. “This is finally the first time that the shame has been put on the perpetrator and this is a real movement in our society. We no longer look at it like it was the woman’s fault for what happened. It was never the woman’s fault, but again the way the media portrayed it, it was, ‘Her skirt was too short,’ or ‘She came to the room. What did she think was going to happen?’ All these things came to the forefront and we now look at it in a totally different way.”
Businesses cannot turn a blind eye to inappropriate behavior. Howard warned business owners that the perception of appropriate vs. inappropriate can vary from culture to culture and managers and staff need to know their employees beliefs to ensure they don’t step out of line.
She explained that inappropriate behavior doesn’t necessarily mean there was physical harassment. It could be something as simple as a religious man who is made uncomfortable by his coworkers frequent sex jokes in the break room. When they noticed his discomfort they mocked him, so he can go to his supervisor with a complaint.
“Silence doesn’t mean acceptance,” Bonnell said. “How do you know the people with you are comfortable with your jokes or behavior? Always know someone may not be as comfortable as they appear.”
Common types of harassment are: unwanted touching, requesting sex for favors or promotions, texting or emailing sex jokes, repeatedly asking for dates, humiliating coworkers, playing explicit music at work, a quid-pro-quo attitude and discrimination against sexual orientation, age or martial status. Howard said the primary reason people don’t report harassment is fear of repercussions for doing so. Employees need to know they will not be punished in any way for speaking out.
Audience members shared times that their employer thought the best way to handle their complaint was to switch their shifts or move them to another department. This caused stress on the victim, who now has to work less flattering hours or drive further even though they were not the perpetrator in the event.
Part of the conversation also addressed what to do if a customer is harassing staff. While hopefully a warning would suffice, Bonnell said ultimately you may have to give up the customer to protect your people.
Howard said if you are the leader of the business and you do not have an HR department then you have to investigate and decide to either counsel or fire the person. She recommends having extremely strict policies in place that prohibit any and all behavior that could potentially cause employee discomfort.
Documentation is key. If you have a complaint, document it. If you talk to an employee about a complaint, document it and have another manager with you. Make sure you follow the proper steps.
“It won’t necessarily become a witch hunt, but you have to dot your i’s and cross your t’s,” Howard said. “Do training every year for the entire company to know the procedures and rules in place.”