As a business owner, you want your business to have the best reputation possible, and you want to back it up. This means creating a safe and healthy environment for every worker that you hire.
In recent years, the workspace has undergone significant changes due to the advancement of technology. But that does not mean you can drop your guard against continuing issues such as harassment.
Harassment through exclusion
The New York Times discusses what harassment looks like in the digital age. Generally speaking, it involves more technology now than ever before.
Technology makes it easier than ever to harass other people. Harassers will often bully victims through smear campaigns conducted entirely by email or text.
In some work circles, all other employees will create a group chat to talk in but leave out one or two workers. It is not uncommon within these chats for employees to foster rumors about the ostracized employees or even plan ways to make their employment more difficult.
Issues of sexual harassment
Sexual harassment also continues. Many harassers will send unsolicited and explicit pictures over messaging apps. They may even expose themselves on video chat, especially if no one else but the victim is around at the time.
Fortunately, technology also makes it easier than ever to document cases of abuse as evidence. You should provide employees with a direct path and set of instructions regarding how to handle this evidence and how to make their reports.
By providing direct guidance on how to make reports, promising to take these cases seriously and then taking fast action, it is possible to reduce or even eliminate harassment at work.
