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Harassment in the Workplace

Harassment in the Workplace. Brainstorming:. How would you define “harassment”? What does the phrase “sexual harassment” suggest to you? Can you think of some examples ranging from mild to extreme cases?. The Canadian Human Rights Commission’s Definition:.

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Harassment in the Workplace

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  1. Harassment in the Workplace

  2. Brainstorming: • How would you define “harassment”? • What does the phrase “sexual harassment” suggest to you? Can you think of some examples ranging from mild to extreme cases?

  3. The Canadian Human Rights Commission’s Definition: • Harassment is any behaviour that demeans, humiliates or embarrasses a person, and that a reasonable person should have known would be unwelcome. • It includes actions (e.g. touching, pushing), comments (e.g. jokes, name-calling), or displays (e.g. posters, cartoons). • The Ontario Human Rights Code protects you from discrimination and harassment.

  4. Types of Harassment • Race • National and Ethnic Origin • Colour • Religion • Age • Gender • Marital Status • Family Status • Disability • Pardoned Conviction • Sexual Orientation

  5. Race and Colour • Prejudice • Harassment • Offensive and insensitive jokes, slurs, etc. • Inclusion • Language and culture

  6. Religion • Facilitating religious practice • Staff restaurant – choice of meal accommodating dietary restrictions • Wearing of religious symbols • Dress code

  7. Age • Ageism and reverse ageism (Discrimination) • Promotion and selection on basis of seniority • Forcing early retirement

  8. Marital and Family Status • Punishing employees for atypical working arrangements (based on their family’s needs) • Not wanting to provide medical benefits for family members • Favouring single employees because of their flexibility in relocating • Punishing people for going home on time – rewarding ‘presenteeism’

  9. Gender • Pregnancy related matters • Sexual Harassment • Discrimination (e.g. hiring preference) • Uniforms

  10. Disability • Discrimination • Employer not providing accommodations • Harassment • Inclusion

  11. Pardoned Conviction • Discrimination (e.g. not hiring or not allowing them to work near money, etc.) • Discretion (not revealing conviction to others) • Inclusion

  12. Sexual Orientation • Prejudice • Harassment • Inclusion • Not providing family benefits

  13. Three Steps to a Healthy Work Environment To provide the optimum working environment, companies should do the following: • Create and share an anti-harassment policy • Educate employees on harassment and provide clear examples • Review and update the policy over time

  14. Sexual Harassment : A Definition • Sexual harassment includes offensive or humiliating behaviour that is related to a person’s sex, as well as behaviour of a sexual nature that creates an intimidating, hostile, or “poisoned” work environment, or that could reasonably be thought to put sexual conditions on a person’s job or employment opportunities.

  15. 4 Types of Sexual Harassment • Verbal • Non-Verbal • Visual • Physical Contact

  16. Sexual Harassment : Verbal • derogatory comments of a sexual nature or based on gender • sexual or gender-based jokes or teasing • comments about clothing, personal behavior, or a person's body • requesting sexual favors • pressure for dates • graphic descriptions of pornography • obscene phone calls • telling lies or spreading rumors about a person's personal or sex life • turning work discussions to sexual topics (using "puns")

  17. Sexual Harassment : Non-Verbal • sizing up a person’s body (looking up and down) • derogatory gestures of a sexual nature • staring • sexually suggestive looks • facial expressions of a sexual nature; winking, licking lips

  18. Sexual Harassment : Visual • presence of sexual visual material, such as posters, cartoons, drawings, calendars, pinups, pictures, computer programs of a sexual nature • written material that is sexual in nature, such as notes or e-mail containing sexual comments • knick-knacks and other objects of a sexual nature

  19. Sexual Harassment : Physical Contact • unwelcome hugging • sexual touching or kissing • standing too close to or brushing up against another person, • grabbing or pinching • blocking someone's path with the purpose of making a sexual advance • Stalking • rape or attempted rape • sexual assault or attempted sexual assault

  20. Teen Sexual Harassment : A Video

  21. Centre for Research on Violence Against Women • In 2004, a study on Violence and Harassment Against Women in the Workplace was created. It revealed a large concern over the prevalence of harassment and over how many incidents go unreported by women. • The study was guided and driven by the tragic story of Theresa Vince. Theresa was an employee of Sears Canada, who was shot and killed by her boss in 1996. Sixteen months before her death, she had made a complaint of sexual harassment and a poisoned work environment. • Her boss stared at her, followed her, said things to her that made her uncomfortable, piled work on her, and phoned her on average every 20 minutes during a work day. • Other co-workers had only teased her further about the sexual harassment and Theresa had planned to take an early retirement to escape her horrible working conditions.

  22. Reflections of a Family Member on Theresa’s Tragic Death “Two months before she died I watched my mother curl into a ball as she sat on the sofa – tears - one by one – rolled down her cheeks - all she could say was that she was under a lot of stress. It had been months since I had seen her smile. She couldn’t sleep, she couldn’t eat, she couldn’t talk anymore - all she could do was curl up into her self protective ball and wish for her hell to be over. She never made it to retirement day.” (Jacquie Carr – Theresa’s daughter)

  23. What Should You Do? Be aware, report harassment, and be respectful of others. If you believe you are being harassed, you should: • Tell the person who has acted offensively in a clear and firm way that you find the behaviour unacceptable and ask the person to stop. If you find this difficult to do alone, ask a friend or colleague to come with you. • Keep a written record of each incident that occurs. • Check to see if your work has a policy to deal with this type of incident. • Call the Human Rights Commission at 1-800-387-9080 if you wish to file a complaint. You should call within 6 months of the last recorded incident or they may not be able to protect you.

  24. Bibliography • Canadian Human Rights Commission. 10 Oct. 2009. http://www.crvawc.ca/documents/WorkplaceHarassmentandViolencereport.pdf • Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children. 10 Oct. 2009. http://www.crvawc.ca/documents/WorkplaceHarassmentandViolencereport.pdf • Durham Continuing Education. 10 Oct. 2009. http://www.durham.edu.on.ca/s_links/schools/dce/lessons/tfs4c_unit4.pdf • Equal at Work. 10 Oct. 2009. http://www.ideasbank-equal.info/files/equality-in-workplace.pdf • Stop Violence Against Women. 10 Oct. 2009. http://www.stopvaw.org/sites/3f6d15f4-c12d-4515-8544-26b7a3a5a41e/uploads/2_WhatIsSH_CMT_.PDF

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