Sexual harassment in the virtual workplace: Creating a safe and equal work environment

As employers plan for a return to the office, sexual harassment training is just one more area in need of an update for the changed world.

“Unfortunately, the decline in face-to-face interaction didn’t result in a decline in sexual harassment incidents,” says Christina Gialleli. (Photo: Shutterstock)

The shift to remote work and hybrid work models has sparked the need for companies to revise polices and develop new ones to address new concerns. One topic that many HR departments may have overlooked in their revisions: sexual harassment in the workplace.

Sexual harassment training had been a priority for many companies pre-pandemic, driven by the #MeToo movement and other high-profile sexual harassment cases. But with employees working remotely, the risk of in-person incidents plummeted, but the issue has not gone away.

Christina Gialleli, director of people operations at Epignosis

Related: Men and women have very different definitions of sexual harassment

As employers plan their return-to-office plans, it will be important not only to revisit the need for sexual harassment training but to update policies to reflect the new dynamic created by the virtual environment. Christina Gialleli, director of people operations at Epignosis, shared some insights from the company’s latest survey, as well as some tips for employers as they develop their policies.

What drove you to conduct this survey?

We wanted to investigate the state of sexual harassment training and how employees respond to it. For this reason, we surveyed only employees that have received such training from their current employers. Speaking with employees under anonymity on such an important matter allowed us to dive deeper into how they feel about it, how they handle incidents and if they have experienced any after the COVID-19 pandemic, and what they think the training is lacking.

Ultimately, we wanted to come up with data-powered insights into how to make anti-harassment training more impactful, relevant and successful. So to show that, instead of being a tick-the-box compliance duty, anti-harassment training can be a powerful ally of leadership, HR, and all employees in creating a safe and equal work environment with a healthy and positive culture.

Why did you partner with The Purple Campaign?

While our area of expertise is workplace learning and employee training and development, The Purple Campaign was founded to address sexual harassment in workplace and communities, and has an in-depth legal expertise on such cases. By joining forces and bringing our areas of expertise together, we were able to measure precisely the impact of sexual harassment training in the workplace. And we managed to unveil new, data-based insights on where it lacks, and how to make it better and more effective.

What can companies do to support employees as they return to the office?

Many surveys around the world, including the one that we conducted recently with The Purple Campaign, have recently shown that sexual harassment can happen even in a remote, online setting. But the reopening of offices and the return to traditional workplaces is a great opportunity for companies to invest in creating an anti-harassment and, overall, a DE&I culture.

According to our research, sexual harassment training makes employees, both men and women, feel more valued as individuals, more productive, and more likely to stay with their company. And their responses give companies a clear path on how to move forward with anti-harassment training: employees feel more comfortable receiving their training either from the HR department or an external company or NGO. Also, they need training material that is not outdated, that addresses the nuances of what constitutes harassment, that is gender-inclusive, and that focuses on awareness and prevention.

How has COVID-19 and online working impacted sexual harassment in the workplace?

The pandemic fueled a massive shift in the workplace, with many employees who previously went into an office everyday being forced to work fully or partially remote. Unfortunately, the decline in face-to-face interaction didn’t result in a decline in sexual harassment incidents.

According to our recent survey results, over 29% of respondents said they have experienced unwelcome behavior over video calls, text messages, email or other online platforms since the start of the pandemic. Surprisingly, men reported experiencing online sexual harassment more often than women, with 40% of men saying they experienced sexual harassment through online channels, compared to just 17% of women – a clear sign that workplace dynamics are changing, and training needs to adapt with it.

What are best practices for how to revamp sexual harassment training programs for the hybrid work environment?

First, employers should start by addressing the ambiguous gray areas – incidents of sexual harassment that aren’t always black and white. When working remotely, it’s often difficult for employers to witness incidents of sexual harassment, and there are no bystanders to provide a third-party report. Revamping your training to address the gray areas that appear in real life can make a significant difference for those who experience sexual harassment — or witness it happen — whether in person or online. Second, employers should provide dedicated training on how to handle harassment that occurs through online platforms like Zoom and Skype. These platforms are here to stay, so showcasing examples of sexual harassment behavior that can occur online will help employees more clearly identify the behavior when it happens during the workday.

In addition, employers should replace outdated training materials with new content that reflects today’s complex working environment. While the lifespan of training materials can vary, it’s a good rule of thumb to get rid of any training videos that have existed for more than a decade. This is especially critical for entry-level employees who are entering the workforce in a remote or hybrid working capacity for the first time and will be highly influenced by the training they receive.

Lastly, employers should focus on sexual harassment prevention strategies to get ahead of incidents before they happen, as the results can have a significant impact. In fact, 90% of employees report being more aware of how to report incidents of sexual harassment after they receive sexual harassment training. By investing the time in proper sexual harassment prevention, employers will not only reduce the amount of sexual harassment that takes place, but also play a role in making their employees feel more productive in their role and more likely to stay with their company in the long run.

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