Diversity & Inclusion

Applying Inclusion Principles in the Prevention of Workplace Harassment

By André Smith, David Treworgy, and D. Stuart Phelan

The authors share several decades of joint experience. Their relevant career adventures include lawyering, working as EEO and DEI practitioners, teaching and coaching, and consulting, In this column, the authors speak in their personal capacities, however, and not on behalf of any other entity with which they are currently or previously affiliated. Feel free to share your suggestions for how to apply DEI principles to improve the work environment. You can email the authors at phelan.stuart@gmail.com. ©2022 André Smith, David Treworgy, and D. Stuart Phelan. All rights reserved. This column is designed to empower employees experiencing harassment with appropriate responses to inappropriate workplace behaviors.1 The authors’ recommendations reflect lessons learned addressing real-world situations.2

Concepts

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.3 As a healthy person is less prone to infection, so are healthy work environments less vulnerable to harassment. Deter discrimination and hostility by building the collaborative relationships, rapport, and mutual respect with co-workers that form the foundation for an equitable and inclusive organizational culture.4 Simultaneously, ready yourself and colleagues to counter negative behaviors in a consistently constructive and professional manner. Incivility can be contagious, so address it immediately and never let the disease spread in your office.

Application

Flexibility is fundamental. There is no “one-size-fitsall” solution to the plethora of people problems present in today’s workforce. Like an investment portfolio, your organization’s workforce should be diversified to reap better returns over time; like investments, a diverse workforce must be managed and balanced as circumstances change. You must be agile enough to adapt your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategy to the tactical realities you encounter. Learn from experiences and grow.

Preventive Strategies to Deter Harassment and Foster Inclusion

Ever notice how just one obnoxious colleague can make work miserable for everybody? This illustrates the impact that one member can have on an organization—for better, or worse. Because every employee’s contribution and perspective matters, every employee shares responsibility for maintaining a fair, inclusive, and harassment-free work environment. You can do your part in three ways. 1. Prepare for early intervention. Rapid response to workplace aggression is best because hostility can escalate quickly. People can rise to the occasion only with a sufficient level of advance readiness. Be ready when your moment arrives.

Educate yourself. Reading your organization’s anti-harassment and equal employment opportunity (EEO) policies is a logical place to start. Knowing what behaviors will not be tolerated and who to contact for assistance will allow you to assess and act promptly should an incident occur.

Invest in yourself. Develop conflict resolution tools to bolster your all-important soft skills. Maximize opportunities to attend DEI training related to allyship, civil treatment, negotiation, unconscious bias, and inclusive behavior.

Establish organizational conduct and civility standards. Formulating a DEI statement and norms of behavior for your work unit offers an opportunity to communicate expectations and ensure that everyone receives notice of what will be expected of them. The conversation this exercise encourages also provides a collective chance to consider and discuss what equitable treatment entails and what inclusion involves. 2. Model inclusive behaviors. Employees often exert their biggest influence on the work culture through routine daily interactions with others. Diversity is a fact, but inclusion is a choice. Set an example and build connections with your co-workers.

Demonstrate civility and professionalism. Treat everyone fairly and with kindness and respect. Welcome newcomers and reach out to the isolated; listen to others’ ideas and validate their opinions; leverage teammates’ unique abilities and recognize their contributions; and encourage collaboration and teamwork. Pay particular attention to interactions with people you dislike or disagree with.

Exercise self-awareness in confrontational situations. Establish a high benchmark for professionalism and civility in your office. Treat disagreements as opportunities to build trust and establish your personal reputation for courtesy and diplomacy. Strive to resolve conflicts amicably by reflecting on your role in the dispute and using empathy to understand others.

Leverage opportunities for change. Regardless of your position in the organization, you can play a role in ensuring your workplace is equitable and inclusive. Get involved in committees and participate in social gatherings and volunteer activities. Achieving cultural transformation in your organization will require a long-term effort, so select realistic goals and milestones to help you stay on track, achieve small wins, gauge progress, and build momentum. 3. Be an Ally.5 If you see or hear someone else enduring abuse, offer the harassed individual your support. Let a person under pressure know that they are not alone. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Draw a line. Defending targets of unjustified hostility, such as microaggressions, is an excellent way to set boundaries for acceptable and unacceptable behaviors.

Turn the tables. Allyship is also a terrific way to use your position or privileges to prevent, instead of perpetuate, inequities.

Tactical Responses to Stop Harassment and Bullying

Harassment is not inevitable and certainly never a condition of continued employment. The authors recommend two defensive techniques to neutralize harassers. These methods work whether you are a witness to or the target of the offensive conduct. 1. Labeling. If you see something, say something. Putting offending individuals on notice that their behavior is unwelcome is often enough to end unpleasant conduct or comments. Only call out a harasser or bully if you feel comfortable and confident doing so. Otherwise, skip ahead to reporting the inappropriate behavior.

Announce your disapproval. Knowing that others condemn the conduct or that a target is neither isolated nor defenseless (i.e., easy prey) may avert future attacks. Failing to voice your opposition to bad behaviors, however, might be viewed as consenting to—or even condoning—such conduct.6

Be tactful. You must control yourself before you can control the situation and influence others. Take the high road and do not lower yourself to the harasser’s level. Be gentle but firm, and avoid personal attacks. Politely explain why the behavior bothers you and avoid confrontation. Try using non-accusatory statements, such as “This bothered me because…,” or “I really didn’t like it when you...” 2. Reporting. If the offensive conduct continues after you have labeled it, or you do not feel comfortable confronting a harasser, reporting is your next step.

Report any suspected harassment. If a harasser targets you, you probably are not alone; if you witness harassment, what you observed might be only the tip of the iceberg. If in doubt, err on the side of caution and report. Silence shields abusers.

Seek aid. The proper individuals to tell are typically explained in your organization’s policy, but a few general rules apply in most cases. Contact law enforcement if you suspect criminal behavior or an imminent threat of violence. Otherwise, tell your supervisor, or the harasser’s supervisor, what happened. If your supervisor is the harasser, report to their superior or the EEO office.

Report contents. Try to capture the details about what transpired while the events are still fresh in your memory. Your statement, preferably in writing, will give the harassment investigator a guide.

Who was involved? The harasser, the target(s), and anyone else who might have witnessed what occurred.

What happened? Actions, behaviors, and comments; context is particularly important with sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination because often the setting or situation transforms otherwise innocuous words into insults or innuendo.

When did it occur? If more than once, how many times?

Where did the incident happen? Harassment can occur anywhere connected with work, (e.g., holiday and retirement parties, offsite trainings or conferences, happy hours).

How did it make you feel? Harassment has both subjective and objective elements; your personal experience matters immensely.

Respect everyone’s privacy. Only notify the people with a need to know. Quietly inform your manager or the EEO office. Do not make a scene or a speech. Discretion protects your anonymity and the privacy of the parties involved. Resist any temptation to conduct your own investigation. No news is typically good news; administrative harassment inquiries are necessarily confidential undertakings, and the outcome should not be discussed beyond the persons necessary to ensure the offensive behaviors do not occur again. 

Endnotes

1In this article, the term “harassment” will encompass the broad spectrum of improper, inimical, and “not-cool” behaviors that fall between professionalism and criminal conduct. Such misbehaviors include bullying, microaggressions, and discriminatory harassment— “unwelcome comments and conduct based on the target’s innate personal, physical, or cultural characteristics.” 2Our suggestions reflect what we have learned along the way (sometimes the hard way) helping ourselves and others resolve workplace disputes. 3Benjamin Franklin, On Protection of Towns from Fire, The Pennsylvania Gazette (Feb. 4, 1735), https://founders.archives. gov/documents/Franklin/01-02-02-0002. 4Equity is “fair treatment and equal access to the same opportunities and resources in the same place at the same time;” and inclusion is “welcoming, valuing, engaging, and fairly treating all persons and perspectives with respect.” 5The authors’ definition of “ally” is apolitical. Our use of the word in this article simply suggests supportive association with another individual or a group when they might need help. 6Some harassers try to justify their misconduct on the grounds that they were not aware the behavior was offensive. While certainly no excuse for discrimination or bullying, this rationalization highlights the importance of denouncing incivility.