Over recent weeks we have been bombarded with revelations and headlines of harassment and bullying, from Hollywood to British politics. Whilst some of these headlines have been truly shocking, what has struck me is the years of tolerance, acceptance and the covering up of some of these incidents, not only by the perpetrators, but by those surrounding them in their respective industries.
This week is Anti-Bullying Week for the Anti-Bullying Alliance, which is a coalition of organisations and individuals that are united against bullying in children and young people. As a parent I want to protect my children from any type of bullying, but this is so hard, especially as they get older and start to use social media.
Bullying and harassment is not a new issue, but with the ever-growing prevalence of social media, it means that it has taken on a platform that not only distances users from each other, encouraging anonymity, but means that it has crawled into all aspects of a person's life, not allowing them respite and at times taking it in to a much more public domain.
In light of all the recent attention an international conversation has been sparked, which has prompted many others to come forward in the process. Has it also triggered conversations in your workplace about bullying and harassment?
Treating everyone with dignity and respect in the workplace is essential, as is understanding that everyone is an individual with their own boundaries. Ensuring your employees know what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour at work, will protect them and others around them, helping to prevent people from crossing boundaries, by being aware of how language, actions and behaviour makes others feel.
In the summer we published a blog on Bullying and harassment in the workplace, which could help you as an employer address some of the issues, whilst protecting both your employees and business.
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