The workplace as we know it is ever-evolving — and not just because of the pandemic. With employee flexibility at the forefront, the “regular” eight-to-five desk jobs are few and far between. With this switch comes an influx in virtual meetups, off-sites, and other efforts to keep company morale high. With less foot traffic inside office walls, one may assume cases of workplace bullying, harassment, and mistreatment cases are trending down. Unfortunately, that’s not the case even though harassment prevention training has been a top priority for many organizations nationwide.
Mistreatment in the workplace is an ever-growing issue. As an employer, you have to keep listening and learning from your people. To help, you can provide your employees with training and tools to safely speak up and feel heard anytime, anywhere. Need recommendations on where to start? Keep reading.
1. Workplace Harassment Prevention Training
Harassment training should not be limited to employee orientation during the first few weeks of employment. Instead, it should be an ongoing, active conversation and continued learning for the entire organization. “A report by the EEOC found that only 30% of employees experiencing harassment on the basis of gender, race, national origin, disability, and other protected classes make internal complaints, and less than 15% file formal legal charges.”
Since 2017, Define the Line has been partnering with organizations to help empower employees and eliminate sexual harassment in workplaces one meaningful conversation at a time. Their beautifully designed digital comic books, facilitation guides, and interactive in-person and virtual training sessions help teams engage in meaningful conversations about what it means to be an ally in the workplace and help end workplace harassment.
2. Open Door Policy
What is an open door policy? Good question. No matter who, what, when, where, or how, employees should have access to their manager. Many organizations preach about the importance of open communication and feedback, but you have to walk the walk before gaining employee trust. On the flip side, instilling an open door policy at your organization allows you as leaders to stay in the loop and regularly interact with employees from every level.
There are plenty of tools and resources out there to keep lines of communication open even when you’re on the go or working from home. To name a few… Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and let us not forget the beauty of a good old-fashioned telephone call!
3. Anonymous Reporting Platform
Even with proper training and the ability to communicate with management at any time, employees likely will not feel comfortable coming forward right away when they’re experiencing mistreatment at work. That’s where Speakfully, our anonymous reporting platform, comes in!
Speakfully, powered by HR Acuity, makes it easy for employees to speak up without having to schedule a meeting or stress about uncomfortable confrontations. Instead, our platform allows employees to safely and privately voice workplace concerns online, and the information is visible to HR and leadership in real-time.
Whether you’re at your desk, out in the field, or on the go, SpeakfullyNow is as easy as 1, 2. 3. Scan your organization’s QR code or visit the unique URL, submit your experience, anonymously communicate with leaders for more information, and track the status of your submission anytime to learn the actions being taken.
The moral of the story is simple— at the end of the day, we’re all on a mission to keep our employees safe, happy, healthy, and HEARD!
Curious to learn more about how a platform like Speakfully could benefit your organization? Click here.
