Seeking Office Posters to Promote Zero Tolerance for Workplace Sexual Harassment

Hello,

Does anyone have posters that can be displayed inside the office premises to show that Sexual Harassment at the workplace will not be tolerated?

I am not speaking from a legal angle (whether posters should be displayed or not). Displaying posters will not make any difference.

In almost any government office, there is a signboard about corruption and no money to be paid. In case of complaints, speak to the name and designation or CVC address is given with phone numbers. But has that stopped corruption? The most corrupt government offices in our country also display such pious notices that do not get implemented in any way.

Conducting Awareness Classes

What you should do is conduct classes for both male and female employees about the law and how to handle any problems or complaints that arise. All employees should be sensitized about harassment and how to deal with female employees in an appropriate manner.

Establishing an Internal Complaints Committee

Form an internal complaints committee and set up an effective mechanism to handle cases. Zero tolerance for sexual harassment should be the attitude. Equally, take a strong stance against false cases as well.

Dear Mkitsu,

It would be better to have your sexual harassment policy displayed on prominent notice boards in and around your office where the employees are bound to read them. Additionally, you can have visual posters designed based on the number needed.

Ashima

The sexual harassment boundary line should be clear to everybody. Simply giving a compliment or just looking admiringly may not constitute sexual harassment. When someone feels offended, whether male or female, it may prompt the need for corrective action instead of resorting to immediate punitive measures.

It can be included in the induction training itself to begin with. Also, the company's code of conduct shall replicate the effect of sexual harassment and its consequences.

Thanks

It is better to design the posters based on the requirements of the organization. You can get them printed in the local language as well.

You can also download it from http://www.iimc.nic.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/file/anti-sexual harassment posters.pdf. It's free of cost.

Regards

Addressing Gender Sensitivity in the Workplace

Just the fact that you want to put up posters reflects the discomfort you feel about discussing this topic. Being respectful towards the other gender is behavior that we can learn. Having committees is also successful when women complain about incidents and discuss them with their superior or HR. It is a reactive activity. Harassment is so subtle that many times women who are entering the employment market for the first time are not able to distinguish between what is allowable and what is not—jokes, sexist comments... there are a million things that go into determining a gender-sensitive culture. Women have to feel comfortable bringing incidents out into the open. Perception-based stereotypes are part of our cultural upbringing and can be changed.

We have done work in other organizations on stereotypical attitudes, helping participants examine their filters, develop their ability to have gender-free conversations, and work effectively in teams. This includes awareness programs, mentoring programs, coaching workshops for women, counseling, etc. You can write to me at [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons] to know more, or if you care to share your email ID, I can send you some material on our work.

Thanks,

Geet