Workplace Harassment

Workplace Harassment For Women Has Become A Global Issue

It is unfortunate, that the workplace harassment for women is continually increasing for many known and unknown reasons. Modern day women are career-oriented and contributing in the betterment of society. Many women work independently as freelancers but a lot of them work in offices along with other male gender. Women have faced many problems in their work environment because of male dominance in business or organization. 

The workplace is no place for harassment of any kind. It's critical to establish proper policies to identify and prevent harassment.

First of all, they have to prove their worth and have to work on low pay scales. Secondly, they have to face inferiority complex from their managers or seniors. Thirdly, they face criticism from their line managers and feel less important and less motivated in their organization. Some women might face depressive mood swings but they cannot complain. Fourthly, women face harassment behavior from their managers or colleagues a lot of times. Their sufferings are unheard by their colleagues as well as by their own family. They feel they are alone and vulnerable in this situation. 

What is workplace harassment?

Harassment is verbal or physical conduct that maligns or shows aggression or repugnance toward an individual particularly women because of that person's relatives', friends', or associates' gender, race, skin color, religion, nationality, age, or disability. 

This kind of workplace harassment has debilitating effect on a person especially women.  

• The aim or effect of creating threatening, aggressive, or violent work environment for that person.

• The offender unreasonably interferes with the individual's or woman’s work ability or performance.

• It unfavorably affects woman’s employment opportunities.

There are many kinds of workplace harassment for women...

Women face all kinds of harassment in their office environment by their bosses and higher management. Workplace Harassment has many forms: sexual, emotional and verbal harassment. 

What is sexual harassment of women in workplace?

Sexual harassment is a kind of abuse in which professional favors are granted to those who fulfill sexual desires of their bosses, colleagues or managers in a workplace. If they do not agree to their demands they get fired or blackmailed by them. More often women are victims of sexual harassment. If female workers are from underprivileged sections of a society, they become easy targets for their employers. They cannot speak for themselves and their voices are often unheard. 

Sadly, it has become a part of our office culture.

Women have to face these issues every day in their workplace. In order to curb these issues, women need courage to speak up and say no to these kinds of workplace harassment.

The problem of sexual harassment has gone global

The problem of harassment of women at workplace is not a problem of developing countries but it has become a global issue. There are many cases of sexual harassment that arise from UK, USA and Europe. Women have seen as commodity in these countries which is why many young and talented women have to face these issues to get better position in their careers.

Many organizations have strict laws for workplace harassment

Many organizations locally and globally are working towards women protection at workplace. There are many laws that are formulated by many organizations to punish the culprits of female harassment.

There should be more awareness campaigns for women

Although, the workplace harassment is there and can be felt by women employees, there should always be support groups, and advocacy campaigns for women that are organized by their office management to ensure no employee will try to take advantage of any woman at workplace. 

Verbal harassing conduct

• nicknames; stereotyping; or threatening, or unfriendly acts that relate to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, or race.

• written or graphic material that shows aggression or hatred toward women or one woman of race, religion, gender, disability and that is exhibited on walls of office premises

• sexual harassment will be that acts or behavior that demonstrates that woman is being threatened to fulfil the demands of the person in authority to get hired on the job or to get career growth opportunities which in otherwise case would not be granted.

To avoid workplace harassment, the standard of ‘Reasonable Person’ is used

If you have a situation where you are trying to conclude if some act has taken place is actually harassing conduct, the way to determine it is to use the "reasonable person" standard. The ‘reasonable person’ standard helps in defining the conduct intimidating, hostile, or abusive, then it's called workplace harassment.

The reasonable person standard includes consideration of the perspective of persons of the same race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, or disability as the harassment victim. For instance, if a female employee complains of harassment, make sure in applying this test that you take the perspective of a woman, not a man. If, in the perspective of another woman, you would find this conduct harassing, it probably is harassment at workplace.

Overall, the workplace harassments must not be tolerated by any civilized, ethical and responsible company. There should be strict measures and punishments in place in case if any such occurrence comes up.