With the addition to Trainers’ Library of our brand new video,
What is Sexual Harassment?, I’ve decided to focus on the subject of bullying and harassment (including sexual harassment) in the workplace this month, and highlight some activities and videos that will help you deliver training around this sensitive topic that is engaging and powerful.
But, before I do, a good place to start is probably with some definitions:
Bullying:
ACAS defines Bullying as:
“Offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient(s).”
Harassment:
Harassment is defined by ACAS as being:
“Unwanted conduct affecting the dignity of people in the workplace. It may be related to age, sex, race, disability, religion, nationality or any personal characteristic of the individual, and may be persistent or an isolated incident, the key is that the actions or comments are viewed as demeaning and unacceptable to the recipient.”
Sexual Harassment:
The Equality and Human Rights Commission defines sexual harassment as occurring:
“When a person engages in unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of violating someone's dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.”
Useful definitions, but are those alone enough to change behaviours? Almost certainly not.
The change that all training should result in will probably only be realised when we can connect that theory to the real world and when managers and others can see the impact their behaviours might be having.
Here are some Trainers’ Library resources that will help with that, starting with the aforementioned video:
When we think about sexual harassment, the image we tend to get is of an older male manager making sleazy comments to a younger female employee. But in reality, sexual harassment can be experienced by anyone.
This video, which we think should be essential viewing for everyone, provides some clear and thought-provoking examples of how sexual harassment might manifest in the workplace and the impact it can have.
This video provides a brief introduction to bullying and harassment for managers, what it is, and why ‘I didn’t mean it like that’ is never a defence.
In this practical module, participants take a look at when firm management crosses the line and becomes bullying. It’s guaranteed to get participants thinking about what is and isn’t acceptable, and their own workplace cultures.
This is one of my favourite activities for exploring bullying and harassment of any type. It’s an activity, supported by comprehensive trainer’s notes as you’d expect, that’s guaranteed to provoke lots of discussion and reflection. And it helps to deliver one of the most important learning points around this whole topic:
It is the impact of the behaviour on others that is significant, regardless of whether or not there was the intention to create that impact.
Our engaging equal opportunities board game brings legislation to life and provides the perfect opportunity to engage participants in reflection and thoughtful discussion about what are direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
It includes questions that test basic knowledge along with others that encourage consideration of real-world examples.
We’re passionate about the importance of supportive and inclusive workplaces where everyone can thrive, free of fear or intimidation. Let us know what else we can do to support your efforts too!