Positive Workplace Culture and Preventing Harassment

1. Positive Workplace Cultureand Preventing Harassment Peggy Moore TE 887 – Final Presentation Expanded content: Embedded video and audio, transitions, animations, bullets, dimming, hyperlinks, and actions.

2. Workplace Bullying Video: Dealing with workplace bullies TODAY msnbc.msn.com Jul 14, 2009

3. Purpose • Legal impact of harassment • Corporate ethics • Types of harassment • Who may be accused • Who may experience harassment • Retaliation • Management Responsibilities • Test your knowledge

4. 2010 Complaints • 11,717 formal complaints (record low) • 11% settled for $49.9 million (not including court cases) • 50% were found to have no merit • Gender Click for EEOC Statistics

5. Click for EEOC Statistics

6. Organizational Values • Mutual respect, fairness, and equal opportunity • Courteous, responsive, and ethical relations

7. Types of Harassment • Illegal Discrimination • Sexual Harassment • Hostile Environment

8. Types of Harassment Illegal Discrimination Age National origin Disability Other protected class • Race • Color • Religion • Sex

9. Types of Harassment • Illegal Discrimination • Sexual Harassment • Hostile Environment

10. Types of Harassment Sexual Harassment • Unwanted advances • Requests for sexual favors • Verbal • Physical • Quid Pro Quo • Offers job-related benefit in exchange for sexual favors

11. Types of Harassment • Illegal Discrimination • Sexual Harassment • Hostile Environment

12. Types of Harassment Hostile Environment: • 95% of claims • Any conduct with purpose or effect of interfering with work performance or creating an “intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment” • Viewed from perspective of reasonable person as victim

13. Forms of Harassment • Physical • Eye contact • Images • Verbal • Repetitive behavior or communication • Jokes

14. Forms of Harassment • Inappropriate Jokes • Relate to sex, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, or age • Regardless of who’s “going along” • With purpose or effect to intimidate, embarrass, or denigrate • Will the “joke” be funny in a courtroom?

15. Who May Be Accused • Subordinates • Co-workers • Clients • Vendors • Students • Woman • Man • Opposite or Same Gender • Supervisors

16. Who May Experience Harassment • Direct target • Bystander/witness • Employee • Men/Women • Manager

17. Impact on Victim • Uncomfortable work environment • Harm to physical health • Harm to mental health • Reduced job performance • Reduced job satisfaction

18. Impact on Employer • Reduced productivity • Reduced professionalism • Reduced civility • Cost

19. Impact on Harasser • Decreased professionalism • Decreased respect from coworkers • Discipline and discharge • Personal consequences • Liability

20. Identifying a Hostile Environment • How frequent is the conduct? • How severe? • Conduct physically threatening or humiliating? • Conduct unreasonably interferes with another’s work performance? • Allow the conduct toward your spouse or child? • Could a reasonable person be offended?

21. Retaliation • May not discriminate against employee who: • Opposed discrimination • Participated in charge, investigation or hearing • Any action which “dissuaded a reasonable worker from making or supporting a charge of discrimination”.

22. TestYour Knowledge

23. Harassment can only happen to women. True False

24. Harassment can only happen to women. True False False - While the majority of complaints are from women alleging harassment by men, harassment can be directed at men or women.

25. Sexual harassment can be committed by a man to another man, even if they are both heterosexual. True False

26. Sexual harassment can be committed by a man to another man, even if they are both heterosexual. True False True - The fact that a harasser is heterosexual is irrelevant. An uncomfortable working environment may still be created by his actions toward other men.

27. Some sexual and racial harassment is part of every job, and you need to learn to handle it. True False

28. Some sexual and racial harassment is part of every job, and you need to learn to handle it. True False False - No one has to put up with offensive discriminatory conduct, statements or jokes.

29. A person may be guilty of sexual harassment and not know it. True False

30. A person may be guilty of sexual harassment and not know it. True False True - Although someone should know if their statements or actions are potentially offensive, harassment is determined not by what the harasser thinks, but what a reasonable person thinks

31. Only supervisors and managers can seriously harass someone. True False

32. Only supervisors and managers can seriously harass someone. True False False - Harassment may be caused by a coworker, manager or customer.

33. Management Responsibilities • Embrace equal opportunity employment • Manage without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin or disability • Monitor workplace relationships and conduct • Be proactive and intervene early on potential problems

34. Management Responsibilities • Be a role model - exhibit expected behaviors • Be available to discuss and resolve problems • Take ALL complaints seriously • Promptly notify Human Resources of all complaints or reports • No retaliation

35. References • www.msnbc.com Today July 24, 2009 • www.nbc.com The Office Season 2 Episode 14 • www.freeplaymusic.com “Vibe” • www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/statistics/enforcement/sexual_harassment.cfm • www.eeoc.gov/laws/practices/harassment.cfm

36. Positive Workplace Cultureand Preventing Harassment Peggy Moore TE 887 – Final Presentation