No One Wants to Talk Or Even Think About It – 04/12/2021
Safety E-QuickTips
U.S. Compliance Systems, Inc.
Monday April 12, 2021
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No One Wants to Talk Or Even Think About It
Here’s a question.
Do OSHA regulations cover harassment in the workplace?
The simple answer is yes.
You won’t find a specific regulation that covers it, but . . .
It is covered by OSHA’s General Duty Clause which says, “Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.”
Harassment in the workplace can be hard to recognize because most people don’t want to talk about it or admit they are the one being harassed, so it takes a little more effort to recognize that it is taking place.
So, I’m going to give you a short (not all-inclusive) list of forms of workplace harassment along with some examples to help you recognize it.
- Physical – direct threats, physical attacks or destroying property
- Sexual – sexual comments, inappropriate touching
- Discriminatory – can be racial, gender or religious
- Online – sharing humiliating information about an employee via email or other social media
- Verbal – threatening, cursing at the employee, or insulting
- Power – excessive demands that are impossible to meet or intrusion into the employee’s personal life
As I said above, this is not an all-inclusive list, but it does touch on a few of the more common ones.
I understand that harassment in the workplace is sometime a touchy subject, but it is one that, if left unchecked, can create a very serious and sometimes violent workplace – something that none of us ever wants to experience.
Preventing harassment in the workplace is a challenge for both employees and employers but working together it can be prevented.Do you part today!
Employee QuickTip
If you believe you are being harassed in the workplace let the person know how you are feeling. If that doesn’t work, talk to management because the sooner someone else understands it is taking place, the sooner it can be stopped.
And if you believe someone has misinterpreted your actions as harassment, let them know that is not how it was intended and apologize if necessary. This could help head off any serious issues in the future.
Employer/Management QuickTip
Workplace harassment is not always an easy thing to pick up on and, if allowed to get out of control, could have serious consequences.
Here are a couple links that might help you to better understand how to prevent workplace harassment:
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Thanks for Reading and Please – Stay Healthy and Work Safe.
