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Building a safer workplace starts with recognising less visible forms of harassment, promoting clear reporting channels, and enforcing a zero‑tolerance policy to protect employees, Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) shares.
Workplace harassment refers to acts carried out by individuals that cause distress or alarm to others at the workplace. When these actions occur, it can lead to a toxic workplace culture which will hurt both business productivity and employee morale.
Some management teams may delay in dealing with bad behaviours as they may not recognise the seriousness of the situation or may be reluctant to draw more attention to an already sensitive and difficult situation. Such delays may then snowball into harassment. Therefore, it is crucial to call out any errant actions, and for the leadership to play a key role in cultivating a safe workplace. Senior management should set the tone by raising their own awareness of workplace harassment and establishing a system for transparency and accountability.
How can leaders prevent workplace harassment? Start with these three practical steps to build a safer, more respectful workplace for your employees.
Recognise less visible forms of harassment
Firstly, leaders should be aware that actions that cause harm may not be clearly visible. For example, cyberbullying is a form of harassment that may be unintentionally enabled in the workplace (i.e., virtual harassment), through the increased use of technology tools. Companies should note that while these modes of communication increase the efficiency of internal communications, online channels such as social media and messaging platforms and even emails can be used to embarrass or insult an individual.
Such forms of harassment pose a real threat to employees. The impact is no less severe than if a person is physically targeted, as cyberbullying can result in mental and emotional scars for the individual.
Taking note of such incidents means leaders have to play an active role and listen to employee concerns seriously. Workplace harassment can involve anyone, regardless of gender, and may come from supervisors or colleagues in the organisation.
Provide and promote reporting channels
Secondly, rather than risk having disgruntled employees air their grievances on public forums, empower them by setting up reporting channels to surface issues. These may include providing an anonymous whistleblowing hotline or platform, assigning a human resource team to investigate grievances, or engaging a qualified neutral party as an impartial investigator.
Employers should raise awareness of these channels once they are in place. This can be done through notices in the office, email reminders and during the onboarding process for new hires. By giving employees the means to report complaints and an assurance that they will be looked into, leaders are signalling their commitment to eradicating workplace harassment.
Adopt a zero-tolerance stance
Finally, prevention is better than cure. Leaders should keep their eyes peeled to identify and evaluate any risk of harassment to ensure a safe, healthy and harmonious workplace. Aside from implementing various reporting and response procedures, they should also develop a harassment prevention policy and provide information and training on workplace harassment. This zero-tolerance stance will assure employees that they will be protected.
Leaders have a moral and legal responsibility to tackle workplace harassment. Companies could also face reputational damage, with past cases reported in the media highlighting more instances of harassment at work.
By reducing the likelihood of workplace harassment, employers are supporting a healthy work environment that allows everyone to thrive.
The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) provides information and resources to help employers and HR professionals keep abreast of HR best practices. Visit tafep.sg to find out more.
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