Understanding and Preventing Workplace Harassment

Workplace harassment isn’t just an HR issue. It is a challenge that can affect your entire business. From employee morale to productivity and even your bottom line, the impact of harassment runs deep. For HR professionals, compliance officers, and business leaders, it all starts with understanding what harassment looks like in all its forms. More importantly, the only way to address issues related to harassment is to build a culture of respect in your organization.

 What Is Workplace Harassment?  

At its core, workplace harassment involves unwelcome conduct based on characteristics such as race, gender, religion, age, disability, or any other protected status. It’s more than inappropriate behavior, it’s a violation of ethics, compliance regulations, and legal standards.  

Defined in legal terms by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), harassment is considered any type of behavior that creates a hostile or intimidating work environment or interferes with an employee’s ability to do their job. 

The most common forms of workplace harassment that come to mind are related to sexual harassment. However, many other manifestations can be easily overlooked, while equally harmful. Consider bullying, discrimination or a wide range of subtle microaggressions.

Workplace Harassment Can Have a Ripple Effect

The impact of harassment extends far beyond the individual victim. Consider these potentially devastating effects they can have on your organization’s flow:  

• Loss of Workplace Productivity: A study by the Workplace Bullying Institute found that nearly 66% of employees targeted by workplace bullying either quit or lost their jobs due to the stress. This is something that can cost your organization substantial talent and productivity.  
• Legal and Financial Risks: The EEOC recovered over $150 million for harassment victims in 2022 alone, underscoring the high cost of unresolved cases.  
• Cultural Damage: Harassment corrodes trust and damages workplace culture. Beyond the lack of trust and credibility, it can reduce employee engagement.  

How to Recognize the Different Forms of Harassment  

Some forms of workplace harassment are easy enough to recognize, while others are intrinsically more delicate and harder to prove. To address harassment properly, you and your organization’s leaders must first understand its various forms.  

1. Sexual Harassment  

• Quid Pro Quo Behavior in Your Employees: This occurs when job benefits are conditioned on sexual favors. For example, a supervisor offering a promotion in exchange for a date.  
• An Overall Hostile Work Environment: Repeated inappropriate comments, gestures, or actions that make the workplace uncomfortable.  

2. Bullying  

 It is easy to recognize how an employee may be a victim of bullying. All you have to do is observe them during company meetings or various events.   Persistent, intimidating, or demeaning behavior aimed at a particular individual is typically a very clear sign. This could include yelling, public humiliation, or unfair criticism.  

3. Discrimination  

This is another thing you or your HR team should keep an eye out for. Discrimination usually manifests in signs of unequal treatment based on an employee’s race, religion, gender. This can range from overt remarks to subtle exclusion from key projects.  

4. Microaggressions  

   Subtle, often unintentional behaviors or comments that demean or belittle others based on their identity can easily be recognized as microaggression. For example, assuming a younger employee isn’t qualified for a leadership role.  

Telltale Signs of Harassment in the Workplace  

Not all harassment is overt. As a leader, you cannot always be in the same place as your working teams, and you cannot always observe their interactions. Instruct your HR team, or anyone in a position of power, a team manager, for instance, to stay vigilant for warning signs.  

– High Turnover: Frequent resignations from a particular team or department could indicate a toxic environment.  

– Unexplained Drops in Performance: Victims of harassment may struggle to focus or maintain productivity.  

– Tense Workplace Dynamics: Noticeable tension or conflict between employees may point to underlying issues.  

– Formal Complaints: Even a single complaint should be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.  

How to Build a Harassment-Free Workplace  

Creating a harassment-free environment requires proactive measures, starting at the top. Here’s how to take the lead.        

 1. Make Ethics and Compliance Part of Your Culture  

A workplace culture isn’t just a buzzword. You cannot have a safe and respectful workplace without it. As a leader, you have to set the tone by modeling ethical behavior and holding everyone accountable to the same standards. Add regular ethics training for your leadership team or for employees in key positions. It will help embed these principles into daily operations.  

 2. Develop Clear Policies  

Your harassment policy should be comprehensive, accessible, and actionable. Outline unacceptable behaviors, reporting procedures, and the consequences for violations. Make sure your employees know their rights and feel empowered to speak up.  

 3. Provide Interactive Training Programs  

Interactive compliance training sessions are meetings where people are encouraged to speak freely about any issues in the workplace. These equip your employees with the tools to recognize and prevent harassment. Programs like those offered by Ethico ensure participants understand the legal, ethical, and cultural aspects of harassment prevention.  

 4. Encourage Open Communication  

An open-door policy will promote trust and encourage employees to report concerns without fear of retaliation or any financial consequences. Regular check-ins and anonymous feedback channels can also uncover issues early.  

 5. Respond in a Professional Manner  

A robust response plan is essential. Investigate all complaints promptly and thoroughly, ensuring fairness for all parties involved. If you stay transparent throughout your entire organization, you can address matters quickly and build trust with your workforce.

How to Implement Your Plan

One thing we always tell our clients is that preventing harassment isn’t a “set it and forget it” thing. In order to achieve a workplace culture of trust and fairness, you need to have a plan that is periodically revisited. We recommend including a few steps in your plan:

• Periodic Reviews: Evaluate the effectiveness of your policies and training programs regularly. Are complaint resolutions timely and effective? Are employees feeling safe and respected?  
• Data-Driven Adjustments: Use metrics like turnover rates, engagement scores, and feedback from exit interviews to identify and address gaps.  
• Continuous Education: Update training materials to reflect changes in laws, regulations, or workplace dynamics. 

Harassment Prevention Starts at the Top  

Leadership is the cornerstone of a harassment-free workplace. When executives prioritize ethical behavior and accountability, it creates a ripple effect that shapes the entire organization. 

By championing a respectful, inclusive culture, you’re not just protecting employees—you’re building a stronger, more resilient organization.  

At Ethico, we’re here to support your journey toward a harassment-free workplace. With tailored ethics training and compliance solutions, we help organizations like yours build stronger, safer, and more ethical workplaces. Together, we can ensure harassment has no place in your company.