A risk manager's take on workplace harassment
By promoting greater awareness, risk professionals can protect their colleagues from harassment while preserving their organization's brand and reputation.
Perhaps no category of catastrophic risk has resulted in greater public recognition recently than violations of the basic obligation to provide a respectful workplace. Society will no longer tolerate the selfish and reprehensible behaviors that have permanently harmed innocent persons, nor an attitude of indifference or under-reaction on the part of the organizations where such acts occur.
We can all name the organizations implicated in these matters. At every one of them, undoubtedly most people were unaware of and disgusted by the conduct that was eventually revealed. Some probably saw signs of trouble but didn’t speak up.
So how do you really know that your organization isn’t the next one in the headlines, and what can each of us do to ensure we aren’t contributing to a similar problem?
Risk managers step up
By promoting greater awareness, risk professionals can protect their colleagues from harm and help preserve their organization’s brand and reputation. Here are some warning signs of behavior that, if unchecked, can hurt people and destroy reputations.
Exploiting manager-subordinate relationships. Should a manager say things to a subordinate that they wouldn’t say to somebody they don’t manage, when such comments aren’t appropriate from a performance or counseling perspective?
Other power imbalances. Studies show that power can make people feel less inhibited. Many harassment situations involve a vulnerable person being exploited by somebody with greater power and influence. Persons of higher rank or with influential relationships, coveted titles, or dominant personalities sometimes use such powers inappropriately. There’s nothing inherently wrong about success or rank or personal influence, but when it is exercised in wrongful ways then the potential for trouble can be greatly magnified.
It’s okay because you have a “special relationship.” Sometimes people behave badly because they wrongly think that the other person accepts, or even welcomes or benefits from, such behavior. In other words, “I wouldn’t say this to just anybody, but with [insert name] I know it’s okay.” If somebody wouldn’t say the words to a stranger, or to their manager’s boss, is it truly appropriate to say them to someone else?
“That’s the way things are in our group.” Sometimes unwritten understandings develop over time. Small groups might adopt unspoken rules as to how people interact, or concerning accepted behavior. That may be normal and acceptable in certain respects, but when it comes to harassment there aren’t different rules or standards for different people. Would you want your group’s conversations recorded and read as a transcript in a court of law?
Projecting feelings or attitudes. This occurs when offenders justify their action on the mistaken belief that the recipient of their abuse has emotional attachment to the offender, is personally attracted to the offender, or has given their permission or even asked for the misbehavior they encounter. Sometimes the exploiting person is trying to make up for their own weaknesses.
You said it, but you meant no harm. In this context, intentions are not relevant.
People blaming themselves. Sometimes victims rationalize the wrongful behavior of others or blame themselves for somebody else’s misbehavior. If someone is behaving badly it is very possible that they are treating others similarly. Harassers may resort to more extreme misconduct once they conclude that lesser offenses go unchallenged or are tacitly encouraged.
Living in the past. If we think about it hard enough, we can probably remember a situation where somebody said or did something that wasn’t right, yet not enough was done about it. Even in the best organizations, not all past injustices are likely to be cured. There may even be future events that should not have happened or are not handled as well as they could have been. None of these circumstances is a good reason to shirk self-accountability for dealing with matters within our own control.
Extreme rationalization. Sometimes bad actors either don’t know they are acting badly or have built up such elaborate self-justification that in their own minds they’ve absolved themselves of any wrongdoing.
Hidden retaliation. Chastised offenders can become very creative in devising toxic forms of retaliation that may not be apparent to others. It’s important for follow-up to take place to ensure that bad behaviors are put to a stop and not simply replaced with different bad behaviors.
Two sets of rules. Can it be honestly said that high-ranking officials or top revenue producers will be judged by the same standard as people of lesser stature? If not, then some fundamental changes in organizational practices might be needed.
Remaining silent. It is alarming how often harassment situations continue even though multiple people were aware of the problem. It is at least understandable that sometimes direct victims hesitate to speak up due to fear of retaliation or not being believed. But silence cannot be tolerated if the objective is to ensure a respectful and harassment-free environment. Organizations must promote and enforce the mindset that witnessing such behavior and not speaking up is as wrong as directly committing such acts.
What about slight offenses and genuine misunderstandings? In such instances a few well-placed words might diffuse things and put everyone on the right course. But not all acts deserve patience or forgiveness.
More excuses. Neither harassers nor their victims are limited to any specific age, gender, orientation, job category, or other defining characteristic. Don’t let any such distinction get in the way of thinking clearly about any behaviors you observe or experience.
Talent plus respect equals success
Talent is in demand. People who have choices won’t work for organizations that are incompatible with their values or that they aren’t are proud to be at. This goes way beyond just meeting the letter of the law or ensuring that bad things aren’t happening: people want a thriving and respectful environment where they are enriched by colleagues with different experiences, perspectives, and circumstances, and empowered to do their best work.
Talent can’t thrive when worries about misconduct are an everyday experience. Everybody has a role to play in ensuring that their fellow employees, as well as customers, vendors, service providers, and other stakeholders experience the behaviors and norms they are rightly entitled to. Risk professionals need to be a leader, not a follower, in making this happen.
Gary Pearce (PEARCGA@kellyservices.com) is chief risk, compliance and privacy officer at Kelly Services, Inc., and a member of the NUPC 2019 Editorial Advisory Board. These opinions are his own.
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