SEXUAL HARASSMENT & REMOTE WORK
You’ll always have creeps in the workplace. One advantage of remote work is that you don’t have to be around them physically. But that does not mean the problems go away. At least not until you find out about their ways and fire them. One of the dangers with remote work is that sexual harassment can carry on for weeks or months without anyone ever suspecting it because it’s happening through private communication. This is a problem for human resource departments because you cannot investigate and fix what you’re not aware of.
That’s why it's crucial in the remote work environment to create a culture where employees report sexual harassment without fear of retaliation. You cannot assume that if there is sexual harassment going on, you’ll notice it and be able to address it.
Ensuring employees report inappropriate conduct starts with having the right policies in your employee handbook. But you also have to put in place the right human resources professionals trained to handle sensitive matters with diplomacy, sensitivity, and confidentiality. Those human resources professionals also need to know when to pick up the phone and contact an attorney.
What is sexual harassment? Legally, it’s more complex than we want to get into here. You can read more about its legal definition on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s website. But most of the time, you need to keep in mind that if you see someone acting or communicating in a sexually unwelcome or inappropriate way, it’s probably sexual harassment.
What does sexual harassment look like in the remote workplace? Usually, it’s sexually suggestive comments, messages, or emails. It can also be inappropriate GIFs or images shared amongst team members. It may also be nude photos, vulgar texts, or unsolicited and unwelcome invites for sexual favors. You need to investigate and correct it when you get even a whiff of this kind of behavior. Likely, it would be best to involve an outside attorney to protect the investigation's credibility and decision. It would be best if you also resisted all urges to retaliate against an employee for making a claim.
Retaliation is the absolute worst thing you can do. You need to take sexual harassment seriously. Even if it means firing your star performer.
