Sexual harassment can refer to unwanted physical contact. In addition, sexual harassment also includes, among other things, showing body parts, asking for something of a sexual nature, showing indecent photos, and throwing sexually suggestive comments or jokes. In the workplace environment, managers or superiors need to build a work environment that is safe from sexual harassment for their workers by establishing clear rules, providing adequate training and persistent reinforcement. Meanwhile, in the school environment, school administrators need to establish or provide the same rules for students and staff.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Creating a Harassment Safe Work Environment
Step 1. Write down anti-harassment rules
As an employer, you are responsible for sexual discrimination that occurs in the workplace. In Law Number 13 of 2003 concerning Manpower, it is stated that workers (including workers or employees) are entitled to protection for safety and health, morals and decency, and treatment in accordance with human dignity and values and religious values. Therefore, the best way to protect employees from sexual harassment and prevent you from having to run the risk of possible harassment is to prevent it early.
- Hold meetings with the human resources board and employee leaders, and write a firm policy against sexual harassment. Emphasize that management itself is responsible for preventing sexual harassment in the workplace or office environment.
- Explain the definition of sexual harassment broadly. Make prohibitions on illegal sexual discrimination, unwanted sexual advances or inducements, sexual solicitations, and sexual behavior or acts (whether verbal, visual or physical) in the workplace.
- Make prohibitions regarding the obligation to accept sexual acts as a condition or condition of employment, or as a basis for determining employment.
- Prohibit all behavior that aims to or has an impact on disrupting employee performance, including behavior that creates an intimidating, unfriendly, or disruptive work environment.
- List examples of sexual harassment, but emphasize that the definition of sexual harassment is not just the examples cited.
- Review the law number 13 of 2013 and the rules in your city to ensure that the rules made cover all applicable laws.
Step 2. Prepare or plan a clear protocol for reporting sexual harassment
In your anti-sexual harassment policy, include clear steps for reporting sexual harassment. Policies that are made must be able to encourage victims to report the harassment they experience. Prepare a special team or board authorized to receive complaints or reports regarding sexual harassment.
Make sure there are several 'options' of officers who can be contacted or visited by victims when they want to report sexual harassment. This is done to, for example, prevent the victim from reporting the abuse she has experienced/witnessed to the harasser or a close friend of the perpetrator
Step 3. Train employees to prevent and report sexual harassment
Give each employee a copy of the policy created. The sexual harassment prevention policy should be included in the employee handbook, sent to employees by e-mail, and reviewed or reviewed in anti-discrimination exercises conducted annually.
- Provide regular exercise. Train supervisors and employees at all levels of management to seek, prevent, and punish sexual harassment and discrimination. In addition, train employees to report sexual harassment in appropriate steps.
- Follow any applicable requirements or regulations in your country or city. Keep in mind that each country or city may have different rules or policies regarding sexual harassment.
Step 4. List examples of sexual harassment that employees may not have known about
They need to understand the forms of seeking or sexual behavior, and behavior that is sexist or transphobic can be considered sexual discrimination and if any employee exhibits such behavior, he or she may be subject to dismissal. Show employees that, for example, male employees are responsible and guilty if they harass other male employees, not just female employees. In addition to male employees, female employees are also guilty of harassing other male or female employees. Also explain that a trivial thing like a compliment can be considered a form of harassment if it is shown or said in the wrong way.
- In the United States, workplace or office management that requires employees to comply with gender norms is considered sexual harassment, according to the rules set out in Title VII. Meanwhile in Indonesia, the rules for complying with gender norms still apply and things that are not in accordance with these norms are considered taboo. For example, in Indonesia male employees must dress or dress according to their gender (eg male employees are prohibited from wearing skirts or dressing like women). This is indeed difficult for some parties (especially transgender people) and sometimes, this is what makes it difficult for these parties to find work.
- For this reason, in some countries (eg the United States) employees are prohibited from warning a female employee who appears to be unfeminine or not behaving in a feminine manner (or if a male employee is not being manly enough). In addition, employees are prohibited from telling transgender employees that their appearance or use of pronouns is unacceptable. In Indonesia itself, there is no prohibition regarding reminding other employees of their behavior which may not be in accordance with the prevailing gender norms.
- Explain to your employees that as a supervisor, you are responsible if a client or seller sexually harasses them.
- Let them know that when they are in doubt, they should talk to their human resources (HR) officer or you.
Step 5. Observe your work environment
Look for signs of sexual harassment (at all levels) in your company. Remove and delete any discriminatory jokes, signs, or doodles you see. Take immediate action on employees who exhibit inappropriate behavior. If you feel that your co-worker is being harassed, encourage him or her to talk about what he or she is going through and take immediate action to stop the harassment from occurring.
If you notice sexual harassment or are in a situation where there is a potential for sexual harassment to occur, take immediate steps to address the harassment or help the victim take action against the perpetrator
Step 6. Enforce a no-exception policy
When there is a complaint, or you notice harassment, immediately investigate and address the situation. Discipline and act on company members who harass other employees. In addition, protect and encourage employees who experience harassment.
- You need to establish a zero-tolerance policy for perpetrators of repeated sexual harassment, or very serious cases of sexual harassment or assault.
- Explain that all levels of management are required to follow applicable regulations or policies.
Method 2 of 3: Responding to Sexual Harassment at Work
Step 1. Recognize sexual harassment in the workplace
In the United States, sexual harassment is divided into two categories based on Title VII, namely harassment that is quid pro quo and harassment in the form of a hostile environment. The first form of harassment occurs when you are required to 'tolerate' harassment as a 'retribution' for a promotion, giving a position, or simply an opportunity to stay on the job. Often times this kind of harassment is carried out by superiors, but this harassment can also be carried out by other employees who have positions or are supported by other parties who have high positions.
- A 'unfriendly' work environment does not affect the stability of your job, either explicitly or implicitly, but it can still affect work performance and create a work environment that is stressful, cold, or makes you feel humiliated.
- In general, an incident of harassment only needs to occur once to be considered a quid pro quo form of harassment. However, other forms of harassment (hostile environment) need to occur several times to be considered a form of harassment, unless the behavior is very obvious (eg sexual assault or unwanted physical touch).
- Both forms of harassment can occur to one or more people, and can be committed by one or more people. Harassment can be perpetrated by a coworker or supervisor, male or female, and verbally, physically, or both.
- Harassment (in any form) is still illegal.
Step 2. Record cases of sexual harassment that occurred in the workplace
Record and keep records of incidents of sexual harassment that occurred. Also write down the time and place of the incident, what each party involved said, and who saw or witnessed the incident. In addition, keep evidence of sexual harassment that occurred. If you receive an obscene email or note, keep them as evidence.
Review the policies regarding sexual harassment that apply in the workplace. Follow the policy, unless your workplace doesn't have a sexual harassment policy
Step 3. Fight or confront the harasser if you feel safe to do so
If you feel safe talking to the harasser directly, do so in person. Explain to him that his attention or behavior is bothering you. Tell and explain what he did to you. After that, ask him to stop acting or behaving like that.
- You could say, for example, "I've been uncomfortable with your behavior since you tried to ask me out. I've turned it down and still being nice because we're coworkers, but the fact that you keep showing signs that you want to keep dating me and that's stressing me out. I want you to stop acting like that.”
- Or you could say, “I want you to understand that jokes about my dress and sexual orientation need to stop. I hate that joke. I don't want anyone to speculate about my personal life, and I don't want you to make fun of me. Understand?"
- If you don't feel safe speaking directly to the perpetrator, meet and talk to your supervisor or human resources officer.
Step 4. Report harassment in the workplace
If you are confronting and speaking directly to the abuser, tell the workplace supervisor about the behavior that the abuser is exhibiting and that you have spoken to him directly. If you're not talking to the perpetrator directly, talk to your supervisor or human resources officer at work. Let them know that you don't feel safe speaking up and taking action against the harasser directly, and explain why.
Make sure you tell your supervisor immediately after you talk to the harasser just in case the bully wants to try to get revenge
Step 5. File a claim or complaint through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
In the United States, if you have a lawsuit over any aspect of Title VII, try filing a discrimination complaint through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission within 180 days of the harassment occurring. You don't need a lawyer to file a complaint or lawsuit. After you file a complaint, the commission will notify your supervisor and start an investigation.
- The commission will try to resolve the lawsuit through a mediator, waive the lawsuit (and stop the investigation), or bring the lawsuit to court.
- If the commission is unable to issue a penalty or resolve the issue, they will issue you a lawsuit. You can request the letter if you still want to file a lawsuit before the investigation is complete.
- Under Title VII, you are legally protected from retaliation after you file a lawsuit, testify, or participate in an investigation, process, or trial.
- It's a good idea to find out about the protection provided by the region or state. Some cities or countries can provide stronger protection than Title VII (or Indonesian law).
Method 3 of 3: Preventing Sexual Harassment in Multiple Places
Step 1. Create a culture of anti-sexual harassment in secondary schools
Train teachers to handle inappropriate comments made by students. In Indonesia, you can use sources and refer to school laws or regulations to train school staff and disseminate information to them. With teachers and counselors/teachers (or Title IV administrators if you live in the United States), make rules so students can identify and report sexual harassment that occurs in schools.
- List the rules in the student manual and invite guest speakers to class.
- Involve parents of students. Hold an after-school meeting to teach parents about sexual harassment and the harmful effects of it.
- Give gifts or rewards for student assertiveness. Encourage students to speak up or report sexual harassment they have experienced or seen. Take complaints from students seriously.
- Take complaints about teachers sexually harassing students seriously.
Step 2. Prevent sexual harassment in the school/college environment
In addition to taking the recommended actions to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace or high school setting, students also need to be educated about their rights. They need to file a complaint through Komnas HAM if complaints about the harassment they experience are not taken seriously by school administrators, or if they are forced to sign a confidentiality agreement in order to report the abuse.
Step 3. Emphasize your friends and partner to respect you
Sexual harassment is unwanted sexual behavior or discrimination. Also, keep in mind that harassment doesn't just happen in the workplace. Sexual harassment can be done by friends, partners, even ex-lover. If a friend makes sexual or sexist comments about you or another friend, tell them not to make those comments again.
- Explain how you feel to another friend. Also listen to how he feels.
- If your friend still doesn't appreciate or respect you, decline invitations to play or hang out with them.
