WITNESSES A HARASSING ACTIVITY

  
                                                      WITNESSES A HARASSING ACTIVITY AT WORK 

What do you think when reading the title of the blog?

    Dr Julia Shaw- a research associate at University College London and co-founder of Spot- which is a tool that helps organizations tackle harassment and discrimination courageously shared her personal story about the time when she experienced repeatedly inappropriate behavior from her senior co-worker at the University. At that time, she was hoping that someone could help her speak up and tell her that she was not overreacting but they did not. After that, she decided not to speak up for herself since she loved her job and was worried that others would not being believe and did not take it seriously her story.

    In the video, she shares insights from one of the largest studies on witnesses of harassment at work that she conducted alongside two of her colleagues, a number of international NGOs and charities. The study sheds light on a disconcerting reality—despite the assumption that individuals would intervene as proactive bystanders, most refrain from taking action when confronted with workplace harassment or bullying. This hesitance is driven by the fear of consequences, which she found the same as victims. Other reasons are that people do not want to interfere, not know they could report or not knowing how, and the stigma attached to being labeled a 'snitch.' She believes that these things can be changed with a better education and better systems.

    And in this talk, she highlights 5 practical ways that the organization can do to create a healthier workplace:

1. Showcase your commitment: shows the important of diversity and inclusion of the company.
2. Train your managers: as managers are the main person who more likely to harass others
3. Allow anonymous reporting: because of the fear of consequences, both victims and witnesses avoid to report even organization can resolve it. 
4. Conduct surveys: ask employees about the specific thing they think or witnessed in companies.
5. Buid a shared social identity: building a cohesive unit in which employees protect each other.

    It is really important not only for the victims but also for the witnesses to take action about harassment in the workplace in order to create a healthy working environment. After watching this video, it took me a long time to think about the issue. The victims, in such a situation, not only undergo the initial trauma of the harassment but also grapple with the troubling realization that despite others being aware of the situation, they opted not to take any action. I do believe that, if I were to witness harassment behavior within a company, my commitment would extend beyond mere observation. I would proactively speak out to provide support for the victim. By speaking out against harassment, my goal is to empower the victim, raise awareness, and challenge established norms. Furthermore, taking a stand against harassment sends a clear message to others that such behaviors are unacceptable, playing a role in fostering a cultural transformation within the organization.

So now, let's answer my question at the beginning! What did you think and will do if you have to face this problem?



Reference: YouTube. (2020). The untold story of witnesses of workplace harassment . YouTube. Retrieved December 1, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14J45xdRESA&t=99s.