5 Common Workplace Harassment Employers and Employees Should Be Aware Of

When people hear ‘workplace harassment,’ they immediately think of sexual harassment. Though sexual harassment is a significant issue in organizations, it isn’t the only harassment employees struggle with at workplaces. As surprising as it may sound, workplace harassment can be of any form—verbal, physical, and even psychological. Since every individual deserves to work without fear, HR specialists should consider harassment compliance training programs to spread awareness of wrong and unacceptable behaviors. We have listed the most common workplace harassment below:

Physical Harassment

Workplace violence is a physical attack, assault, or action, including making threats openly and destroying the victim’s property that may or may not harm an individual. Physical actions such as shoving with a lighthearted aim can sometimes blur the lines between what’s suitable and what’s not. An employee should make better decisions when determining whether someone’s behavior is suitable or threatening. 

Verbal Harassment

Personality clashes often transition from casual eye rolls to harsh verbal confrontations. Since verbal harassment is a form of discrimination, educating every employee, regardless of position in the organization, through online harassment prevention training is necessary. 

Discriminatory Harassment

Discrimination is often overlooked in a workplace because it isn’t always verbal or physical harassment. Discriminatory harassment is defined by aim rather than how it is actually carried out. For instance, racial harassment includes racial slurs, jokes, remarks, and insults. In contrast, gender harassment becomes apparent when men, women, and other genders are not treated equally. 

Psychological Harassment

Sometimes, a person’s attitude or behavior affects another individual’s mental health, social life, and work. Victims are often belittled or dismissed personally or professionally by an employer, another employee, or team members. For example, denying the victim’s presence, challenging what the victim says during discussions and meetings, spreading rumors about the victim, or defaming the victim’s feelings. 

Retaliation Harassment

Fear of retaliation creates a hostile work environment for victims. And it’s one of the most common reasons harassment is so prevalent in workplaces. Retaliation harassment occurs when a manager, employee, or group of employees belittles or penalizes a targeted employee for reporting indiscretion or violation, earning a promotion, or doing something correctly. 

With a harassment compliance training program, HRs of an organization can educate employers and employees on their rights, prevent workplace harassment, and create a safe place to work and succeed.