In April, Gloucestershire Constabulary was urging businesses to be proactive with their policies and training to protect staff from stalking and harassment. The statistics they shared were surprising - and worrying. Even more concerning was the number of staff who reported being undertrained and ill-informed when it came to guidelines and policies. The HR Review reports that occurrences at work can have a negative impact on employee wellbeing. And employers can be held vicariously responsible for actions of their workers under Section 3 of the 1997 Protection form Harassment Act if a court finds ‘they have not dealt appropriately with incidents’. National Stalking Advocacy Service Paladin published key facts and figures about stalking, with one alarming study revealing 75 per cent of domestic violence stalkers will also show up at work.
Gloucestershire locals will remember the high-profile case of Hollie Gazzard, who was killed in her place of work in 2014 by her ex-boyfriend. The Hollie Gazzard Trust, set up in memory of her, will work with businesses and organisations to help educate them about what can be done to help tackle stalking. So, what can be done to ensure employees feel safe and comfortable when they leave their homes and come into the workplace? Guidance suggests one simple but effective management skill is to listen and be aware of any red flags. The Safety and Health Practitioner (SHP) lists a number of warning signs that could indicate harassment or stalking at work. These include: nuisance telephone calls, making false complaints to employers, repeatedly sending emails, abuse of networking sites and computer hacking. But it’s not just within the workplace that employees can be targeted.
Protecting your staff from stalkers
8 | May 2019 | www. punchline-gloucester .com
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