As the combined forces of the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements have continued to gain momentum throughout 2018, more people than ever are having frank conversations about incidents of harassment in the workplace. Employers across all industries must face the fact that sexual harassment is a far more pervasive problem than some realized — or were willing to realize. It is important for them to remove as many of the barriers that prevent employees from reporting sexual harassment as possible.
It’s an unfortunate reality that, even after these movements, many employees still feel being ostracized or retaliated against if they speak up. But there are more protections afforded to whistleblowers than ever, and also easier methods of reporting incidents of harassment.
Methods for harassment reporting
It makes sense that in our constantly connected smartphone world that there would be an app for just about everything, including reporting harassment. Apps such as STOPit, Callisto and other platforms essentially act as hotlines for affected employees. All it takes is a few finger strokes and taps to report the harassment.
However, these tools are not designed for traditional harassment reporting. Instead, they are anonymous, and submit instances for data collection. Any time an employee lodges a complaint, that data is then aggregated to create an overall snapshot of their work environment. Employers do not receive individualized harassment reports, but can track trends in their workplace.
Of course, more direct intervention typically comes through traditional reporting. Companies should have strong anti-harassment policies and clear procedures to follow, emphasizing that victims will have their reports taken extremely seriously and that they will be fully investigated.
For further guidance on reporting sexual harassment in the workplace, speak with a Dallas whistleblower lawyer at Kardell Law Group.
