Understanding Workplace Harassment: Challenges and Solutions

1 Harassment in the Workplace BUSI 101-B01 LUO

2 Harassment in the Workplace Harassment in the workplace is not a new concept, but over the past few years it has come to the forefront of conversation, mainly because of the “Me Too” movement. However, there are other types of workplace harassment, such as bullying and violence, that occur as well. Some believe the movement has went too far. The “Me Too” movement has had an impact on how employers protect employees from workplace harassment, but there are still challenges that employees face. According to Nikels, (2019) Sexual Harassment refers to unwelcome sexual advances and other verbal or unwanted physical conduct in the workplace. Statistics show that sexual harassment complaints account for 30 percent of the claims the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reviews. There is also the issue of bullying and violence. The Bureau of Labor Statistics report that nearly 2 million Americans are impacted by workplace bullying and violence yearly. (Nikels, 2019) Unfortunately, many people do not report workplace harassment out of fear of retaliation. The EEOC estimate that 75 percent of all workplace harassment incidents go unreported altogether. “One 2003 study found that 75% of employees who spoke out against workplace mistreatment faced some form of retaliation,” the EEOC report found. (Golshan, 2017 ) Sexual harassment has always been a touchy subject. Victims often do not report because of shame or feeling it is somehow their fault. The #MeToo movement, however, has given victims the courage to speak out. The #MeToo movement started with a bang. Victims of sexual harassment at the hands of celebrities and producers should have been a shock, but to most it was not. There has always been this open secret of harassment in Hollywood that no one seemed to want to touch, but when the first victims came forward, it also gave non-celebrities the courage to speak up as well. Some

3 people believe that the movement went too far. In a study by the Ipsos and NPR of 1000 Americans, about 43% of Americans think the movement "has gone too far," however, too far was not defined. (Hoff, 2020) Men tend to be more tolerant of sexual harassment than women and in some men called the movement a witch hunt. (Jonas R. Kunst, April Bailey, Claire Prendergast & Aleksander Gundersen, 2019) This type of behavior can hinder a victim from reporting the harassment. “The fear of ostracism prevented many from disclosing harassment and abuse in the workplace. The #MeToo movement, by nature, is antithetical to ostracism by building community and freeing people to seek justice.” ( Brown, S.E.V. and Battle, J.S., 2020) The movement gave so many the courage to speak out when they had remained silent for so long. In 1991, the Civil Rights Act began to govern sexual harassment, but workplaces also have a responsibility to create a safe environment for all. This can be done through training, policies, focus groups, and even consultants who handle workplace harassment and violence. (Nikels, 2019) A harassment lawsuit is expensive. It affects the employers, the stakeholders. And employees should be able to work without fear. For this reason, in June 2016, the EEOC released a report called Study of Harassment in the Workplace and gave recommendations for employers to help prevent harassment. Recommendations include devoting resources to harassment prevention efforts, create an antiharassment policy, hold managers and supervisors accountable for prevention, offer reporting procedures that are multifaceted, watch for retaliation, and offer antiharassment-compliance training, to name a few. ( Dominick, B. K., 2018). Although the #MeToo movement shined a light on harassment in the workplace, it most likely will not stop it from happening anytime soon. If employers use the recommendations from the EEOC and be vigilant in protecting employees, maybe we can get to a point where people are

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

4 respected and not harassed. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 states, “ Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.” ( New International Version) We are brothers and sisters in Christ. People should not fear their place of work. They should be comfortable, not violated. By taking the right steps, workplaces can be free from harassment.

5 References Brown, S.E.V. and Battle, J.S. (2020), "Ostracizing targets of workplace sexual harassment before and after the #MeToo movement" , Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. 39 No. 1, pp. 53-67. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-09-2018-0162 Dominick, B. K. (2018). Preventing workplace harassment in a #metoo world: A guide to cultivating a harassment-free culture . ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral- proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu Golshan, T. (2017, October 15). Study finds 75 percent of workplace harassment victims experienced retaliation when they spoke up . Vox. https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/10/15/16438750/weinstein-sexual-harassment-facts. Hoff, M. (2020, March 11). Americans have complicated feelings on the 3-year-old #MeToo movement - and some still cannot decide if it has been good for the country . Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/attitudes-on-sexual-harassment-gender-since- metoo-movement-2020-2. Jonas R. Kunst, April Bailey, Claire Prendergast & Aleksander Gundersen (2019) Sexism, rape myths and feminist identification explain gender differences in attitudes toward the #metoo social media campaign in two countries , Media Psychology, 22:5, 818 843, DOI: 10.1080/15213269.2018.1532300 Nickels, W. G., McHugh, J. M., & McHugh, S. M. (2019 ). Understanding business (12th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

BUSI 101_Workplace Harassment Essay

Related Documents