Sexual Harassment At The Workplace

Most people who encounter sexual harassment at the workplace are neither the person harassed nor the person responsible. They are standing nearby, and what they do in the next thirty seconds matters more than any policy.

Very few will confront someone, and training built around confrontation asks for something people will not do. The options that get used are smaller.

Interrupting with something neutral, which breaks the moment without a confrontation. Checking in afterwards, privately, which matters far more than people expect and is often the first time the person hears that somebody else saw it. Naming it later to the person responsible, one to one. And backing the person up if they raise it, so they are not the only voice in the room.

A corroborating witness changes how a complaint is treated. That alone is worth training for.

The Australian Human Rights Commission sets out the employer duty. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.

See Sentrient’s sexual harassment course and respect at work training.