1. Proactive Strategies for Workplace Harassment

2. Objectives for this Session
Examine the values of diversity & respect in the workplace. Lay the Foundation.
Review current policies
Review Harassment & Discrimination Prevention Policy
Define unacceptable behavior
Set Strategies
Q & A

3. What is Diversity?
Diversity is fully valuing the talents and opportunities presented by all of our employees, customers, suppliers, and communities.
Our work environment & relationships with each other
Our customers
Our behavior with external partners (suppliers, community)

4. Commitment Diversity is a social and business imperative
We need to respond to changing demographics in providing services.
Executive Commitment
We reinforce our beliefs with the policies and standards to follow

5. Diversity Awareness Age Gender Race Religion
Education Personality/Thinking Style
Culture
Sexual Orientation
Physical or mental challenges
National Origin
Many others…

6. Keys to being a team member that understands diversity…
Build a relationship with your co workers
Listen
Hold off judgment
Acknowledge differences
Acknowledge respect
Find the common ground
Clarify expectations
Collectively shape group culture
Create a feedback loop
HOW DO YOU RATE YOURSELF?

7. Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
Compliance and Standards
We will…
recruit, hire and promote
and administer all other personnel actions
Without regard to:
Religion, national origin, sex, age marital status, veteran status, status relating to public assistance, disabilities of otherwise qualified individuals, and other protected groups as defined by law

8. Harassment and Discrimination Prevention Policy
Our organization is committed to:
Providing a work environment free from any form of harassment and discrimination
This includes harassment & discrimination based on EEO categories and sexual & workplace harassment
Violating this policy can result in disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.

9. Harassment and Discrimination Prevention Policy
Harassment is:
Unwelcomed behavior that:
Is verbal or physical conduct and/or;
Creates a hostile or intimidating environment and/or;
Interferes with an individual’s work performance, employment opportunities or other privileges of employment.

10. Harassment and Discrimination Prevention Policy
Conduct by the following is included in this policy:
Co-workers
Temporary employees
Contractors
Supervisors
Vendors, suppliers
customers

11. Harassment and Discrimination Prevention Policy
Sexual harassment includes:
Unwelcome sexual advances
Requests for sexual favors
Requests for sexual favors as a condition of employment
Other verbal or physical sexual conduct
Tangible/Nontangible Actions

12. Prohibited Behavior Examples of prohibited behavior:
Telling racist or sexist jokes
Making offensive or derogatory remarks about another person’s EEO status
Unwanted physical contact
Physical advances or propositions
Making discriminatory hiring or promotional decisions

13. Prohibited Behavior (continued)
Sending offensive or derogatory messages
Sexually degrading language
Unwanted staring or leering
The display of sexually suggestive objects or pictures
Any other behavior which creates a hostile or intimidating work environment

14. Not Considered Harassment
Simple teasing not based on a protected class.
Off handed comments.
Minor isolated incidents that are not extremely serious.
Consensual relationships between peers.

15. Reporting an Issue
All employees should report inappropriate, discriminatory or harassing behavior whether it is directed at them or another employee.

16. Standards of Conduct The Reasonable Person Standard.
Whether conduct is considered harassing is judged by a subjective and an objective standard for purposes of a violation:
The victim must subjectively view the conduct as unwelcome harassment creating a hostile environment: AND
A “reasonable person” in the victim’s position must view the conduct as severe or pervasive enough to create an objectively hostile or abusive work environment.

17. What is Bullying?
Workplace Bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators. It is Abusive conduct that is:
Threatening, humiliating or intimidating or
Work interference, sabotage, work prevention
Verbal Abuse

18. Similar to Domestic Violence
Resembles experience of battered spouse
Abuser inflicts pain when/where they choose
Keeps victim off balance
Abuser dangles the hope that safety is possible during a period of peace of unknown duration.
Target is kept close to the abuser by the nature of the relationship

19. WBI Poll of distress Factors
Character Assassination & Reputation (20%)
Prolonged Exposure/Health Issues (16%)
Stress resulting in lower productivity (10%)
Disbelief of Employers & Peers (8%)
Being called incompetent (8%)
Voluntarily Forced to Quit (8%)
Involuntarily Terminated (indefensible)(7%)
Social exclusion, ostracism (6%)

20. WBI Action Plan for Bullying
Name it. Bullying, psychological harassment, emotional abuse.
This offsets the effect of being told that because your problem is not illegal, you cannot possibly have a problem.
Healing power can be found in naming the situation.

21. Bullying Action Plan
2. Take time off to heal & check mental health with a professional. Also check physical health.
In 25% of bullying cases discrimination plays a role. This situation should be reviewed by the employee/employer and existing policies reviewed.
Consider starting job search.

22. Bullying Action Plan 3. Expose the Bully.
Targeted individuals lose their jobs involuntarily or by choice in 78% of the cases.
Thus it is no riskier to attempt to dislodge the bully.
Retaliation is a certainty. Have a Plan B in place.
Good employers purge bullies.

23. Bullying in Perspective
Bullying is not necessarily illegal unless it is done on a discriminatory basis.
There is nothing illegal about being a poor manager or as an employee, being anti social.
Always keep in mind that human behavior is complex many of these actions can be the result of mental health conditions.

24. Workplace Harassment Perspectives
In strict terms, workplace harassment is unwelcome behavior directed at a member of a protected group.
Unethical behavior tends to focus on protected classes such as race, sex, national origin and others.
Its OK to have spirited discussions among supervisors/employees. This is not workplace harassment!

25. PROACTIVE STRATEGIES!
Don’t paint the car until you have repaired the engine and removed all the rust!
1. Review your policies on Equal Employment Opportunity and Harassment.
A. Make sure there are provisions protecting employees for filing or reporting complaints.
B. Protection from Retaliation.
C. Effective process for handling complaints.

26. PROACTIVE STRATEGIES
2. Elected officials and all of management must totally support the policies and practices that promote ethical behavior and effectively deal with any harassment related issues.
A. Any complaints or accusations must be dealt with immediately!! By law, employers must take prompt action in responding to complaints.

27. PROACTIVE STRATEGIES TRAIN! TRAIN! TRAIN!
In many cases we have to establish a new culture of respect in the organization.
Do not put policies in place and hope that no harassment issues will surface. It’s guaranteed that they will.
Officials, management and employees need to be trained and the initiative needs to be conducted every year.
Become proactive and not reactive.

28. Reporting an Issue
Reports should be made to your supervisor or the HR department.
If not available, if you receive an unsatisfactory response, or if the complaint involves the above you may report the issue to the next reporting level or head of the organization.

29. Investigations
Once a complaint is filed the organization will promptly investigate the situation and take appropriate corrective action.
Issues will be resolved quickly.
Confidentiality will be maintained as much as possible.
There will be no retaliation against any employee who makes a good faith report of inappropriate behavior.

30. The Individual
Growing number of state courts are finding individuals personally liable for their conduct at work.

31. What You Can Do…
Harassment occurs in the eye of the victim. Be sure that you consider their perspective.
If you feel you are a target, let your feelings be known
Treat your co-workers with respect and dignity.

32. What You Can Do…
Don’t jump to conclusions based on someone’s dress, actions, physical appearance, religion or race, etc.
If someone approaches you and feels uncomfortable about your behavior, take them seriously.

33. REMEMBER! You are part of the workplace!
Help create a positive climate for everyone to feel comfortable!

34. Questions?

35. CONTACT INFORMATION
Chuck Horter Human Resources Coordinator NDACO