• FREE RESOURCES
  • PREMIUM CONTENT
        • SEE MORE
          PREMIUM RESOURCES
  • HR DEEP DIVES
        • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for HR Professionals
          Employment Law
          Labor Law Posting Requirements: Everything You Need to Know
          Recruiting
          businesswoman selecting future employees on digital interfaces
          Recruiting Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
          Performance Management
          vector image of young female making star rating
          Performance Review Resources
          Employment Law
          Understanding Equal Employment Opportunity and the EEOC
          Recruiting
          Onboarding Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
  • CORONAVIRUS & HR

  • LOGIN
  • SIGN UP FREE

HR Morning

  • FREE RESOURCES
  • PREMIUM CONTENT
        • SEE MORE
          PREMIUM RESOURCES
  • HR DEEP DIVES
        • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for HR Professionals
          Employment Law
          Labor Law Posting Requirements: Everything You Need to Know
          Recruiting
          businesswoman selecting future employees on digital interfaces
          Recruiting Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
          Performance Management
          vector image of young female making star rating
          Performance Review Resources
          Employment Law
          Understanding Equal Employment Opportunity and the EEOC
          Recruiting
          Onboarding Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
  • CORONAVIRUS & HR
  • Employment Law
  • Benefits
  • Recruiting
  • Talent Management
  • Performance Management
  • HR Technology
  • More
    • Leadership & Strategy
    • Compensation
    • Staff Administration
    • Policy & Procedures
    • Wellness
    • Staff Departure
    • Employee Services
    • Work Location
    • HR Career & Self-Care
    • Health Care
    • Retirement Plans

Sexual harassment blind spots: 3 keys to opening your CEO’s eyes

Harassment blind spots
Rachel Mucha
by Rachel Mucha
August 5, 2019
3 minute read
  • SHARE ON

In this post-#MeToo world, nearly every HR pro has made sexual harassment prevention a top priority.

But despite your best efforts, harassment isn’t going away. Research shows employees are just as likely to be sexually harassed now as they were before the #MeToo movement.

Three misconceptions

So why does this issue persist? Turns out, even if HR is proactive and diligent when it comes to harassment prevention efforts, if the higher-ups aren’t committed, problems will continue.

According to employment law attorney Jathan Janove, there are a lot of reasons CEOs don’t take sexual harassment claims more seriously, despite the severity of the issue.

One reason is higher-ups have a hard time believing that employees who are always courteous to their bosses could ever cross a line with their colleagues. It’s easy for managers to dismiss a harassment claim outright, saying something like, “I know John, and he would never do anything like that!”

Janove says another issue is CEOs are more willing to give top performers the benefit of the doubt or a second chance, since that employee impacts the company’s bottom line.

The third reason CEOs aren’t in a hurry to do more is often because they think that current harassment policies and training in place are enough, Janove says. But conventional sexual harassment prevention does little more than protect a company against potential lawsuits.

Culture shift

If HR truly wants to get to the root of the sexual harassment problem, it’ll need to get the C-suite completely on board.

To tackle sexual harassment, company culture needs an adjustment from the top down, Janove says.

CEOs need to adopt the attitude that harassment prevention should be a priority because every employee deserves to feel safe and respected — training and policies shouldn’t have the sole purpose of shielding the company from legal problems.

Janove says when higher-ups get wind of harassment reports, they shouldn’t ask whether the behavior was sexual or unwelcome, but rather, “Does this behavior support our commitment to a respectful, secure work environment for all?”

When a CEO looks at sexual harassment from this perspective, and HR reinforces this position, employees will quickly get the message that harassment is unacceptable.

Convincing the CEO

Creating a united front between HR and the C-suite can be easier said than done, though. Many CEOs believe sexual harassment isn’t a problem at their company.

Here’s how you can convince the higher-ups to take harassment prevention seriously, according to EEOC staff:

  1. Cost of litigation. Last year, employers paid about $70 million in monetary damages in EEOC sexual harassment cases. This number doesn’t include lawsuits filed privately. This payout alone is giant enough to get any CEO’s attention.
  2. Loss of productivity. It’s impossible for harassed employees to be engaged, productive workers. Victims of harassment often suffer adverse mental health effects, which can result in absenteeism and higher medical costs. A harassment-free environment will only lead to higher productivity.
  3. Harm to company reputation. If word gets out about any harassment problems, it will be very difficult for an employer to attract talented candidates. Having a strong stance on preventing sexual harassment will only help with recruiting and ensure company reputation remains intact.
Rachel Mucha
Rachel Mucha
Rachel writes about Human Resource management and has been a member of the HRMorning staff since 2017. She is a graduate of Ithaca College.

Get the latest from HRMorning in your inbox PLUS immediately access 10 FREE HR guides.

I WANT MY FREE GUIDES

Keep Up To Date with the Latest HR News

With HRMorning arriving in your inbox, you will never miss critical stories on labor laws, benefits, retention and onboarding strategies.

Sign up for a free HRMorning membership and get our newsletter!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
HR Morning Logo
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linked In
  • ABOUT HRMORNING
  • ADVERTISE WITH US
  • WRITE FOR US
  • CONTACT
  • Employment Law
  • Benefits
  • Recruiting
  • Talent Management
  • HR Technology
  • Performance Management
  • Leadership & Strategy
  • Compensation & Payroll
  • Policy & Culture
  • Staff Administration
  • Wellness & Safety
  • Staff Departure
  • Employee Services
  • Work Location
  • HR Career & Self-Care

HRMorning, part of the SuccessFuel Network, provides the latest HR and employment law news for HR professionals in the trenches of small-to-medium-sized businesses. Rather than simply regurgitating the day’s headlines, HRMorning delivers actionable insights, helping HR execs understand what HR trends mean to their business.

Privacy Policy Terms of Service
Copyright © 2021 SuccessFuel

WELCOME BACK!

Enter your username and password below to log in

Forget Your Username or Password?

Reset Password

Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.

Log In

During your free trial, you can cancel at any time with a single click on your “Account” page.  It’s that easy.

Why do we need your credit card for a free trial?

We ask for your credit card to allow your subscription to continue should you decide to keep your membership beyond the free trial period.  This prevents any interruption of content access.

Your card will not be charged at any point during your 21 day free trial
and you may cancel at any time during your free trial.

preloader