Unwarranted sexual nuances in a professional setting often go unnoticed to the receiver because of their unwelcome nature. Sexual harassment at work refers to a verbal or physical act of a sexual nature that is performed by a boss, manager, employee, client, or even customer and causes the person on the receiving end to feel violated or insulted.
Being able to understand the fine line between what sexual misconduct involves and does not involve can help you to better protect yourself, a loved one, or even educate your colleague on the same. Sexual harassment can involve:
- Joking or teasing with sexual references included.
- Repeated invitation to date despite rejection.
- Enquiring for or sharing sexual experiences.
- Intended sharing or displaying videos or pictures with sexual content.
- Request for sexual intercourse.
- Unnecessary physical contact.
- Coerced sexual intercourse.
The thing about sex offenders is they don’t usually stop put of their own volition. In fact, not addressing the problem can make the situation more difficult to remedy as time goes on. As a preemptive measure, employers can put in place certain measures in place that can protect their employees from sexual misconduct. Some of them include;
Installing the Best Spy Cameras
Spy cameras or CCTVs have become a necessity in institutions, on our roads, at home, and even in the workplace. They can help save employers time and money since they are one of the best ways one can collect evidence that has not been tampered with.
Furthermore, installing the best spy camera within a company can make employees feel safer at the workplace and deter those with ulterior motives.
Endorsing a Sexual Misconduct Policy
The company’s employee handbook should include a policy structured to penalize sexual misconduct in the workplace. The policy should also define what sexual misconduct is, elaborate that the company does not tolerate such behavior, set a clear procedure for filing sexual misconduct complaints, and outline how offenders are disciplined.
Integrate Training on Sexual Misconduct
The company should organize regular sexual awareness training sessions for employees, supervisors, and managers. The sessions should teach what sexual misconduct is, emphasize zero tolerance to such cases, and sensitize the employees on how to report sexual misconduct cases.
All employees should understand their rights to a safe workplace free of sexual misconduct. No one should be discouraged from reporting to their supervisor or human resources officer if they’re a victim of sexual misconduct from a party affiliated with the company.
Raise Awareness
Awareness is the most effective form of prevention. Being mindful of behaviors that could easily be interpreted as misconduct can help people refrain from such behaviors and will also make them more likely to pick up any form of sexual misconduct.
Conducting short assessments will help the working staff measure their perception and understanding of sexual misconduct.
Sexual Misconduct Should Not Be Welcome in Any Work Setting
Monitoring your workplace by talking to employees periodically and keeping the lines of communication open will help your company avoid legal suits. Make sure you take all sexual misconduct complaints seriously and act immediately by investigating. Your employees will appreciate a swift and effective response.
