A Time for Action
HOW COMPANIES GET PROACTIVE ABOUT SEXUAL HARASSMENT
3. Have an open dialogue between male and female managers to create a process that works.
Last month, we highlighted the ongoing struggles raised by social movements like #MeToo. As the reality of sexual harassment in the workplace comes to light, many men have responded by distancing themselves from female coworkers. This response, born from a sense of self- preservation, can have a negative impact on both women in the workplace and on companies at large. It is incredibly apparent that companies must take a proactive role in dismantling the destructive habits that called for the #MeToo movement in the first place and in creating better systems to ensure the safety and success of all their employees. But how? “Companies can no longer use training webinars that people can run in the background while doing other work,” says Nancy Mellard, executive vice president and general counsel at CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services Division. Sexual harassment training cannot be a “check the box and move on” approach. Rather, companies need to create comprehensive sexual harassment policies, teach these policies to their employees, and equip managers with the tools they need to take action on these policies. Mercer, a global human resources consulting firm, has a three-step program they recommend companies follow: 1. With the help of a legal counsel, establish an explicit sexual harassment policy that is current, clear, and encompassing. 2. Communicate the policy with employees. Managers must be trained to take action if they notice something amiss. Employees must be able to understand what constitutes harassment. The first step, many experts agree, is for companies to take sexual harassment training seriously.
Beyond training, companies must also embrace diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategies. It’s impossible to create systems that will protect all people if only one kind of person is writing those systems. D&I strategies are crucial for building a company culture that will thrive in the post-#MeToo era. These strategies must be intentional, and, as Kelly Thoerig, senior vice president and EPL coverage leader at Marsh, points out, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. “Each company is going to have its own issues — cultural, international, sectoral, geographical — that feed its training policies,” she said in an interview with Leader’s Edge magazine. Andy Barrengos, CEO of Woodruff-Sawyer, agreed with Thoerig, going on to address how companies can go about addressing their issues: “The best practices are not to do X, Y, and Z so men will be less afraid of being accused. The first thing is to get real with themselves if they are committed to a more diverse organization. If you’re committed, understand your own ecosystem. What is your male-female mix: broadly, in management, in senior management, and on your board? P.S. Do you need help understanding these numbers? Maybe you need an outside partner … Do you need to set targets? If your board is all men and your senior leadership is one woman with the rest men but your management ranks are more evenly distributed, you can say, ‘Okay, what do you want to do here?’” It will not be easy for companies to address the deeply ingrained issues we must overcome now. Experts agree that the effort is worth it. Companies that do nothing now face reputational and financial risk and personal liability.
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