Dealing with Workplace Sexual Harassment

On 9^th December 2013, the Rajya Sabha passed a bill on Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal on Sexual Harassment of Women at the workplace, but according to a survey report, 36% of Indian Companies and 25% of MNC’s are still not compliant with the act. It is slowly growing to be one of the major concerns for women and men working in an institution.

 What is it?

As the title suggests, it is the unwanted touch towards any employee by the employer or a colleague, which can range from inappropriate unwanted touch to extremes of rape or sexual favours. A person subject to these acts of violence inside the workplace is projected and presented under the above-mentioned act.

Below are some preventive measures one can subject to, in case of workplace sexual harassment:

Open-space:

The workplace environment should be changed and subjected towards a more open environment, where the people working there can open up to each other and express themselves. As the place of work becomes an extension of ones’ home, the need to feel the same comfort becomes important for the person. In a closed corporate set-up, the voicing of these kinds of violence becomes destructive for the self. The person feels comfortable and is able to voice against harassment if the environment is open.

Learn & Teach:

Another preventive measure is to introduce the employees to different workshops, where they learn, understand and even open up to face these problems. Through the workshops, a person learns how to deal with the perpetrator and what to do in cases of harassment. The main fight then becomes against the stigma attached to sexual harassment, which one needs to break free from.

Talk & Listen:

It becomes important to speak about the harassment faced, as it damages the psyche a lot. One should gather courage and file an official complaint against the one in question. It becomes, important to bring them to the light. If needed, one should seek professional help from a psycho

The company’s role:

The company is responsible for taking strict action against the perpetrator of sexual harassment. Victims can approach the police and file an official complaint if the company fails to do so. It becomes the company’s responsibility to compensate the person both emotionally and monetary.

Legal Actions:

In extreme cases, if it happens, one should always file an official complaint with the police and take the help of the law. The company then in question should support the employee and help him/her to fight the case.

Thus, it becomes important to report acts of workplace sexual harassment whenever it happens to yourself or your colleagues. If left unreported, the perpetrator may commit the same crime again.