Did it Have to Happen?

11am on that day…

It was a normal day at work. The usual busyness the day typically brings: Endless ringing phones, printers and fax machines working overtime to keep up with the task at hand, the aroma of fresh brewed coffee, the chatter of employees talking among themselves and providing service to customers. You could call it the normal chaos. No one aware or anticipating what’s to come in just a few short hours that will leave lasting affects among all…

Let’s take a moment to analyze the unseen from that day and what caused him to snap…

In the midst of all the busyness and preoccupied minds of others focused on their own tasks- sits an individual quiet in his cubicle, withdrawn and one that has secluded himself from his peers so much, he could be considered invincible. An individual, who for the purpose of this blog, name was Saul. He’d dreaded coming to work every day because he was-different, or so that’s how he was treated. Different because: he didn’t like to join the office gossip conversations, didn’t participate in department potlucks or celebrate particular holidays because of his faith, and the truth about his identity was exposed recently by a Management Team member-who during an after-hours conversation unknowingly told an individual that used to be a peer of Saul that he transitioned with surgery from being a woman to living a more masculine lifestyle a few years back. A conversation that should have never taken place and information which should have been kept confidential led to a series of harassment and acts of hatred toward Saul that continued to the point it was uncomfortable for him to come to work and be efficient in his role. He’d come to work often and hear snickering as he walked by or be stared at by others as if he didn’t belong. A big deal was made by a few male peers that they were uncomfortable with Saul using the men’s restroom and filed complaints with the HR Department. Left in Saul’s work-space were inappropriate pictures on his desk, trash, and he’d receive vulgar e-mail chains that his peers had all joined in on increasing his overall comfort at work. Feeling attacked, Saul reported the harassment to his direct Manager who said he would look into the matter but never followed back up with Saul or took any action against the accused. Instead, he offered to move Saul’s desk to another area in the building, however the harassment continued If not worsened when information spread about his lifestyle. The harassment became so severe to which just yesterday Saul walked out the building after work and found his car had been vandalized and words like “stay away” and “freak” were spray painted all over. There were no cameras in the parking lot to know who committed this crime and no one stepped forward to help find out who did it. Instead laughter and mocking ensued. Fed up, Saul left that day and on his way home made the decision of: No More.

That evening, Saul searched in his room and found his safety box which contained what he perceived to be an end to the harassment once and for all. Returning to work the next day, he sat in his cubicle unbeknownst to all around him and counted down to 3pm in which he would then put a silence to them all. Sure enough, nobody noticed him just sitting at his desk starring at his computer, not working and wearing the face of one who stopped seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. As he stood and looked around the room, he first identified those whom had made his life at work a living nightmare and went after them first, next it was his direct Supervisor, then other leaders within the office-lastly himself.

15 casualties including Saul, and 10 critically injured fighting for their chance at life again…

As I dive into a harsh reality of what has become common today, I have to stop and ask: Couldn’t this have ended different? Couldn’t this have been prevented had an effective call to action occurred at the onset of Saul first reporting what he had been enduring in the office? In order to acknowledge these questions, we have to first understand that Workplace Harassment and Violence is REAL. And no matter how minimal it may appear to be, it must be taken seriously at all costs. According to FBI statistics, approximately 2 million people a year are affected by some form of workplace violence (CRS Ray, 2017). Furthermore, the estimated cost of a workplace homicide to an employer can range up to a whopping $800,000.00 (CRS Ray, 2017). Based on these alarming statistics, it’s imperative for employers to take a proactive approach in addressing harassment in the workplace to prevent it from leading to violence.

Harassment in the Workplace is defined as: the belittling or threatening behavior directed at an individual worker or a group of workers. Harassing conduct may include offensive jokes, slurs, name-calling, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule, insults, offensive pictures, and more. Not to mention there are various forms of harassment that include: Sexual (Quid Pro Quo= “this for that), Hostile, Discriminatory on the grounds of: disability, physical, race, gender, orientation, age-and the list goes on and keeps growing.

So as an employer what can you do? What do you do?

It’s all about: Your Response, having a Plan and Policy in place, taking Action, and Training.

1) Response:

Responding when a complaint is brought before you, as minuscule as it may seem. Take any and all complaints you receive seriously because the result of turning a blind-eye can eventually become deadly. Your employees should feel comfortable to bring matters of concerns to your attention and be at ease knowing it will be addressed in a timely manner, without prejudice. A thorough investigation should occur in which all parties involved need to be questioned and all conversations need to be well documented. With any investigation, confidentiality is key to ensuring the investigation can be completed with as little interruption to business operations as possible, and you always want to follow up with the individual who brought forth a complaint.

2) Have a Policy and Plan of Action:

Nothing beats having a clear-cut policy and plan in place. Written down and acknowledged

understanding by all who work within the organization, including management. A policy allows little room for misinterpretation that harassment and violence in the workplace will not be tolerated and will be handled accordingly, should such complaints be brought to the attention of management. Furthermore, it establishes a foundation of the organization’s culture and stance on what are the necessary steps to take and who to even report to, if one feels they’re a victim of incredulous acts. As an employer, it responsibility to ensure employees know and have somewhere to go to bring forth concerns. Everyone should feel as though they have a voice and that their voice matters. Taking it a step further, it’s essential to communicate that your organization has a “non-tolerance for retaliation” of any kind. An employee should not feel like their job is in jeopardy if they come forward. Now, it is also the employees’ responsibility to come forward and you can help them by creating a safe-space for them to trust that their concerns will not be handled lightly. Both sides are accountable.

3) Take Action:

Action should never be delayed but immediate to ensure a quick resolution, so that business can continue functioning as normal. Taking action can mean, progressive disciplinary action, transferring an employee to a different area in the building or department, up to including termination. Whether the action be minor or severe based on the severity of the complaint-it cannot be delayed and may not be an easy decision. However, often time business owners are faced with touch decisions but in the end it’s for the good of the company and everyone in it, in the long run.

4) Train-Continuously and Effectively:

Lastly, I cannot stress enough how imperative it is to educate yourself and your employees on workplace violence and preventive tips. Knowing the signs and behaviors that are clear red-flags-can mean someone’s life is saved. Best practice is to have annual and quarterly training on harassment and violence in the workplace. In addition, having a clear understanding that harassment to one can be perceived completely different than another increases an individual’s awareness on the subject matter. It’s essential for anyone who supervises employees to have solid understanding of what harassment is, whether it’s sexual or non-sexual, and to know how to recognize the implicit and explicit warning signs of dangers that put themselves, their employees, and their organizations at risk. At some point, everyone has watched a ten-minute video or read a quick policy about harassment and the related laws about it. This type of training usually requires no interaction, no sharing of thoughts or engagement among coworkers, and most importantly, no discussion of how to recognize or deal with harassment in the workplace. The result: Not effective.

Not only do businesses face potential financial penalties for sexual harassment cases, but they risk significant damage to their brand in the court of public opinion should a lawsuit occur. The most important thing to remember is that, at its core, workplace harassment training is about creating an environment where everyone feels safe and able to thrive professionally. Effective harassment training will not only define "harassment," but it will demonstrate what constitutes harassment, as opposed to flirting among coworkers on equal footing or a passing compliment.

Overall, you can protect yourself, employees, and your organization by: Knowing the signs, being proactive in your approach and actions, remaining educated and consistent with training, but remembering that every complaint should be taken seriously. And every complaint unaddressed or minimized, has the potential to become a domino effect of pain, guilt, expense, and negative impacts upon the organization. You as the employer have the power to get ahead of it and be proactive, I challenge you to take the necessary steps today to bring awareness to prevent harassment and violence from occurring in your organization-but above all else start talking about it and then implement change.