Harassment and social networks - have you done your homework?

At a time when waves of reports of assault and harassment are appearing on social networks, it's only natural to ask "What if it were happening to us? This unprecedented social awareness reminds us of the importance of preventing acts of harassment and assault, particularly in the workplace;

Since you are not immune to such situations and have a duty to ensure the health, safety and physical and psychological integrity of your employees, do you have the tools you need to take the right action if you are called upon to manage a case of alleged harassment?

What are your responsibilities?

• Adopt a policy to prevent psychological harassment, including a mechanism for handling complaints as well as a specific section on sexual harassment

• Inform your employees of the policy and provide for training and prevention activities with regard to harassment in all its forms

• In the event of a complaint, ensure the confidential treatment of information received, conduct an impartial investigation, take the necessary steps to rectify the situation and apply the appropriate sanctions

In the context of dealing with such a complaint, your role as an employer can easily become complex: you are responsible for ensuring that the integrity of both parties is respected. On the one hand, you have to ensure that the harassment stops. On the other, you want to avoid putting an alleged victim in a situation where he or she could face defamation charges; or even, as an employer, being blamed for damaging an employee's reputation;

How can this kind of situation be managed and prevented?

As an employer, it is essential to equip yourself with the best tools for managing any harassment or assault that may occur in the workplace;

To this end, we recommend that you put in place two policies that will serve as a frame of reference to guide your employees in understanding the rules of conduct with regard to harassment and the use of social networks: 

1. Harassment prevention and complaints handling policy

2. Policy on the use of social networks and IT equipment

It is important to clarify what is permitted and what is not, as well as the consequences of non-compliance with the rules. In the current context, it would be appropriate to clarify the organisation's expectations regarding the use of social networks to report harassment;

Harassment and the use of social networks are important issues that can also affect your organisation. 

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