Sexual assault and harassment in the workplace
In the last week, there have been more stories of sexual assault and harassment in the workplace. What used to be acceptable at work and in wider society is no longer the case.
Russell Brand accused of rape and sexual assault
As an employer, you have a duty of care to all parties - employees who make complaints of sexual harassment and also those who are accused.
So what should you put in place to support everyone in what can be a very sensitive and difficult issue to tackle:
Have clear guidelines and policies in place about behaviour at work
Make sure all your managers understand and implement these
Deliver awareness sessions for all members of the team - including new starters - and provide updates on these on a regular basis
Make sure employees know that they can raise complaints in confidence and to whom
Let them know what support is in place - Employee Assistance Programme, HR, pastoral support, line management
If you need to investigate a complaint of sexual harassment, make sure you keep an open mind until you have gathered all the evidence
If you need any guidance on this or any other aspect of #hr, please get in touch with Chamber Management Team member, Sarah Darbyshire FCIPD, HR Consultant and Director, HR Solutions Yorkshire Limited.
