2
HARASSMENT; MOVING BEYOND THE BASICS
Origins
The ideal of creating a workplace free from harassment took some time to develop. It was not that long ago when the concept of harassment (and, in fact, its very definition) was foreign to the work environment. Workers who were made uncomfortable by the ignorance and behavior of others sparked a change in attitude. It was our judicial system that supplied the impetus, when the first harassment lawsuit hit the business community. Workplace philosophies clearly needed to be changed significantly.
| 1960’s and 1970’s Attitude |
1980s and beyond Replaced with |
|
|
• |
Policies to inform and regulate…………… |
Policies to inform and prevent |
| • | Reactive to issues………… | Proactive to issues |
| • | Ignorance is bliss……… | Awareness is a must |
| • | Personal relationships don't matter…………… | Keep it professional |
It was no longer enough to expect self-regulation. Policies to protect rather than to regulate were drafted and implemented. A new attitude appeared, evidenced by this handbook language:
We expect all of our employees to conduct themselves with professionalism at all times and in all situations. Any conduct deemed inappropriate in the workplace will be immediately brought to the employee's attention for correction.
A process to deal with less than professional behaviors will be presented in a later chapter.