Our California labor and employment attorneys recommend that California employers take the following five measures to prevent workplace harassment:
However well-intentioned, laws that criminalize bullying and cyberbullying aren't an effective solution, says Nicholas Carlisle, the founder of No Bully, a leading anti-bullying advocacy group. The laws, he said, are "an aggressive approach to solve a problem that is essentially one of aggression."
This group includes health-care and social service workers such as visiting nurses, psychiatric evaluators, and probation officers; community workers such as gas and water utility employees, phone and cable TV installers, and letter carriers; retail workers; and taxi drivers.
Here are three types of workplace harassment, examples, and solutions to help you educate your employees for preventing workplace harassment.
Examples of harassment in the workplace include derogatory jokes, racial slurs, personal insults, and expressions of disgust or intolerance toward a particular race. Abuse may range from mocking a worker's accent to psychologically intimidating employees by making threats or displaying discriminatory symbols.
Several recent studies have shown that anti-bullying programs can reduce bullying activity by 19 to 20 percent and reduce victimization by 15 to 16 percent, Limber said. But it depends on the program. “Some approaches are more effective than others,” she explained.
Anti-bullying refers to laws, policies, organizations, and movements aimed at stopping or preventing bullying. Bullying is a situation where a person, called a bully, verbally or physically threatens or assaults a person, causing the person to feel a real or perceived power imbalance.
All fifty states in the United States have passed school anti-bullying legislation, the first being Georgia in 1999. Montana became the most recent, and last, state to adopt anti-bullying legislation in April 2015. A watchdog organization called Bully Police USA advocates for and reports on anti-bullying legislation.
A lawsuit against the employer for a workplace assault is just one option. The victim of a workplace assault can also do any or all of the following: Complain to their company's human resources department or a supervisor; ... Bring a civil lawsuit for compensatory damages against the co-worker.
A standard recommendation for dealing with workplace harassment is to ask the harasser to stop before you take any further steps. If your gut says your boss might react violently, talk to human resources about alternative approaches. Don't put yourself in harm's way.
Workplace violence is any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide.
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