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A Case Of A Conversation: handling sexual harassment

A boss or a colleague doesn’t have to touch you to sexually harass you. Many women can attest to feeling uncomfortable with little or no physical contact. A proposition need not always be outright: it can be as insidious as remark or a joke. All this and more were discussed in the recent conversations Interweave conducted at a professional financial services firm in Bangalore last week.

Take an example of two colleagues travelling in a car. The male makes a reference to a recently released movie that explores the relationship between an older man and younger woman, attempting to gauge his female colleague’s reaction to a similar proposition. The woman feels uncomfortable and agitated and lodges a complaint with the HR.

Verbal sexual harassments of such kind are common, and can affect the work atmosphere. If ignored, it can lead to repeated situations of harassment, the consequences of which may become difficult for the company to bear. This kind of behaviour, therefore, must be nipped in the bud.

The case is a lesson for teams at large that colleagues and employees should not indulge in conversations which can be perceived wrongly. The concern is how the context is perceived, not what is implied.

Once it has been perceived wrongly, not only does it mean malicious spreading of rumours that tarnish the company and employee’s reputation, but it also spreads ill will and makes it progressively difficult to work in the environment – eventually leading to attrition. Before the harasser takes such a situation forward, the so-called victim should nip it in the bud.

The best method is to understand what your rights are, what is inappropriate work behaviour. With this knowledge, you can be more confident of the decisions you make concerning the situation. In the above mentioned scenario, it would be ideal for the woman to have said such conversations make her uneasy or that she wants to keep her comments to herself, while making other polite conversations.

More and more companies are trying to address such unwanted situations at work by equipping employees with techniques to prevent and handle possible harassment. Not only does this gear your workforce for higher productivity but it also protects the firm from any resulting legal tangles. Sessions like these can certainly help employees understand that it’s not always necessary to escalate issues or make complaints: sometimes the employees themselves can handle such inter-personal cases appropriately and douse a spark that could later have flared into something bigger.

What are your views? Mail us on the cases you may have come across.

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