Tips To Handle Cases Of Sexual Harassment At Work Place

By: Sarah Jose
Submitted: 2008-12-16 13:24:22
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Sexual harassment is the unwanted pressure on the sexual nature. The sexual harassment can either be physical or it can even be through oral words. The harassment can take place in any environment be it offices, school or even elsewhere. It is not necessary that the harasser and the victim are of the same gender. In this article I am going to deal with the work place sexual harassment, and how the employer has to act in case he receives a complain from his/her employee. It is the duty to thoroughly inspect the case under consideration as it is his legal and employee obligation which has to be performed very effectively. How the process is to be dealt by the employer is hard to track as these are really sensitive issues taking place within the environment.

These are some of the tips that can help you to run an organization smoothly:

-    It is very important that you inform the employees that these obscene actions will not be tolerated and if any of such cases have been reported they would be investigated and there is no scope to avoid such sensitive matters
-    You can probably assign a person who can own the complaint, and investigate it. It is important that the person whom are appointing should have a know how of the organization.
-    Plot out a plan that covers the various aspects of the complaint, plan the investigation based on the current knowledge.
-    Try and console the employee who is been affected, ensure that he/she will be safe and the situation is in control. This is one of the most important things that you need to address to.
-    Inform the employee that they must notify you about the ongoing experiences or any other problems.
-    Tell the employee that the employee needs to inform about the entire incident, take notes of the incident, the date and the time and then come to a conclusion about the entire scenario.
-    Inform the person against whom the action has been filed and warn him about the investigation which is taking place. Ask him to be patient while he is under the scrutiny.
-    Tell the person accused that a fair and just investigation will be taking place and there is no need to panic incase he hasn’t done anything wrong.
-    In the same way as you questioned the complainant ensure that you try and take out the facts from his side also and do ensure that you ask him open ended questions so that you cross check with the facts as given by the complainant.
-    Try and reach to a conclusion with the case, consult the decisions with the others in the HR team and reach a just and a fair judgment
-    Take appropriate decisions whether the sexual harassment took place and incase it has taken place then ensure that you give them strict punishment.

Stephen Hammond can give a keynote speech on this topic effectively. He, B.A., LL.B., CSP, is a lawyer turned workplace and community human rights speaker and educator.  His Bachelor of Arts in political studies is from the University of Manitoba and his Bachelor of Laws degree is from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.  Stephen is the author of Managing Human Rights at Work: 101 practical tips to prevent human rights disasters and Steps in the Rights Direction: 365 human rights celebrations and tragedies that inspired Canada and the world.  Stephen is a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and the International Federation for Professional Speakers.

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