Workplace Harassment not limited to 'workplace'

Workplace Harassment is not limited to misconduct at the office

Your company policy should also cover virtual misconduct.

Drinking with colleagues at a bar, on a plane for a business trip, during a virtual meeting… These are some examples of where our clients have felt harassed by their colleagues. 

Could these situations be covered by their employer’s anti-harassment policies? The answer is they could and they should!

One of the most common misconceptions about workplace harassment is the behaviour must take place at the office or during office hours. Employees and managers have told us they’ve witnessed misconduct outside of work and decided they couldn’t make a complaint because they were unsure their employers have grounds to do anything.   

How each company’s anti-harassment policy is worded will differ, but we recommend all policies to specifically prohibit harassing conduct in or outside the workplace, if it has an impact on the company’s employees. 

Making this distinction is more important now than ever before.  With COVID-19 circuit breaker measures requiring more employees to work from home, it does not mean all workplace harassment will stop.  Physical harassment may be prevented but harassment online, by email, texts or inappropriate comments during virtual meetings could still make your employees feel harassed. Your employees need to know even if harassment happened during a virtual meeting while they are physically at home, the company can still intervene to support them.

And with employees not physically on site, informal drop-ins for HR advice is no longer an option.  Now might be the time to check your employees have the contact details of the right person to call should they have a grievance or need advice.