3 minute read
Office Politics
Has the #MeToo Movement Changed Our Workplace?
On the 15th October 2017, Alyssa Milano – an American actress - tweeted “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet” with the intention to demonstrate the number of people impacted by sexual abuse. The next day, #MeToo had been retweeted more than 500,000 times on Twitter and over 12 million times on Facebook. A new phenomenon had begun.
Advertisement
But what impact does this have on organisations in the UK?
While the #MeToo Movement is infamously connected with the allegations against movie producer Harvey Weinstein, the movement revealed that sexual abuse is prevalent within every industry from academia to politics.
In the wake of the movement, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) produced a report entitled ‘Turning Tables: Ending sexual harassment at work’. The report collected information from 1000 employees across the UK, covering a variety of industry sectors. Of the people surveyed, three-quarters had experienced sexual harassment at work.
The report also highlighted the unwillingness in reporting. Around half of the respondents hadn’t reported their experience of harassment to anyone in their workplace.
This unwillingness to report offensive, or potentially illegal behaviour, is attributed to a lack of appropriate procedure within the workplace, uncertainty over who to approach, and little confidence in complaints being taken seriously – this will only change when organisations confront the uncomfortable reality of sexual harassment within their own workplace cultures.
To condemn outright harassment is easy, and necessary. But to untangle the multifaceted web of human interactions that make up an organisation, promoting inclusion and opportunity while also upholding fairness, is more complicated.
In current society, there appears to be a complex duality of views when it comes to sexual assault and harassment allegations. When People Management, an HR publication, requested views and experiences from their readers, the split in opinion was clearly evident.
One view, as expected, details unwanted sexual comments in the workplace. While the other mourns the end of “good banter and fun” at work, citing: “These days you are afraid to say anything… the whole thing has gone too far.”
The movement has certainly inspired debate and left greater numbers of people feeling empowered to share their stories of harassment, however, the value of #MeToo will only be reflected in the progress organisations make in changing workplace behaviours for the better.
But it’s a fine line between sensible advice and being over-zealous. Netflix recently made headlines after an onset runner described its new workplace behavioural policy. These much-mocked rules include a ban on employees making eye contact for more than five seconds, giving “lingering” hugs, and asking for a colleague’s phone number.
Driving behavioural change means being prepared for a backlash. A Pew Research Center survey published last April revealed that 51% of respondents thought the spotlight on sexual harassment had made it harder for men to know how to interact with women at work. Another survey by Lean In, found the number of male managers who felt uncomfortable mentoring women had more than tripled to 16 per cent in the wake of #MeToo.
Regardless of industry, employers need to seriously consider and assess any risks within their workplace and take actions to prevent sexual abuse. Failure to take preventative actions could leave employers vulnerable to legal claims.
When victims do step forward, they need to be respected and protected from any backlash. Employers should ensure that all interactions with the perpetrator stop and the victim gets support to deal with any impacts. While most cases settle outside of court with the victim signing a non-disclosure agreement in return for monetary compensation, this approach may not be the most ethical as it leaves future employees vulnerable to the same risk.
Instead, employers need to take responsibility for protecting employees from sexual harassment by supporting the victim through any legal procedures and dismissing the abuser if guilty.
However, there does need to be a balance. While victims of harassment must be supported, it’s equally important that HR takes steps to ensure individuals accused of harassment are not simply tried in a ‘court of public opinion’. The number of false harassment claims may be minimal, but the cost of an error – as Cliff Richard’s court victory against the BBC demonstrates – can be significant.
And while a watershed moment is an important part of any process of sustained change, the measure of impact in a movement such as #MeToo rests heavily in the actions that are taken afterwards.
The point is not just to make sure we have suitable policies in place, or to be sure we have the right statements about culture; the point is to make sure people coming to work are safe, protected, and can flourish.
Since #MeToo, we have arguably witnessed a change as big as that which followed the introduction of new legislation to outlaw other forms of discrimination such as age, disability, religion or belief and sexual orientation.
Sexual misconduct in the workplace is undoubtedly one of the most challenging areas for HR teams at the moment, not least because the current environment is not what we have been used to. Allowing things to continue as they may have been previously is not going to work. It is important to absorb the lessons of the past and embrace the new culture in the future.
If any content within this article has raised concerns that you may have in your workplace, or with your current policies and procedures – please feel free to contact me at susan@pearsonconsultancygroup.co.uk
Susan Pearson
