Organizational Psychologist’s Ways to Call Predators in the Workplace
Each organization has its own sexual harassment, and their identities are rarely truly secret. Someone knows, someone speaks, but people who can do something about it – witnesses, bosses – often think that this is not their problem. This must be stopped.
Organizational psychologist Liana Davey writes in Quartz that “it is becoming increasingly clear that passivity only perpetuates a cycle of abuse.” If you hear rumors but are not sure if there is anything in them, guess what – you are in a position to do something.
Here are some of her actions:
- Take rumors seriously. Repeat this phrase: “This is a serious charge. I cannot ignore this comment. ” If the person has heard this secondhand, ask if they will associate you with the victim. And if this is someone who has experienced this behavior themselves, make it clear if you can keep their story private.
- Support the person in any way you can. Maybe you can help them refer the problem to HR or even the police, or maybe you can put them in touch with other people in your organization who have experienced the same. Sometimes all you can do is support you, but this is important: they know that someone is listening to them and they are trusted.
- Please report it. If the victim is unable or unwilling to report it himself, you can report it to HR yourself, anonymously if necessary. And if HR is not taking action, Davey recommends letting someone in a leadership position in your organization know that there is a major issue that HR is not addressing. Ask: “What would you advise me to do?”
Imagine a workplace where everyone reacts like that when they hear rumors instead of ignoring them. If an organization is full of people who, when they hear that their coworker is acting creepy or worse, “wait, this is crap, tell me more,” then those creepy guys ( who are everywhere) won’t stay undercover for very long.