Female- Psychological Harassment At Work

Dear Seniors,

Please suggest a solution for an incident in one of my friend's organizations.

The organization believes in a multi-layered designation approach and is growing rapidly. The organizational chart is somewhat fluid (although not fixed as it's not a structured company): VP - AVP - Sr. Manager - Manager - AM - TL - TL (Within TL) - Sr. Exec (somewhat equivalent to TL) - Exec.

One of the TLs (within TL) is psychologically harassing two execs on a daily basis using abusive language (threatening physical violence, questioning their competence, restricting breaks, prohibiting interaction with others, denying leave even when unwell - all in Hindi at a loud volume). This behavior is audible on the floor (with a seating capacity of around 75).

One of the execs reported this to her immediate supervisor and to the Sr. Manager level. However, to my surprise, even the Sr. Manager responded by saying, "You should be thankful you don't work directly with me, I was worse than your immediate supervisor." Furthermore, whenever this lady exec raises any issue or concern related to work, her supervisor raises her voice and uses negative language towards her loudly.

I would appreciate your experienced support in handling this situation as I do not have the authority to intervene, and the exec is not in a position to escalate this further due to fear of losing her job.

I am expecting strong solutions from an experienced group like yourselves.

P.S.: The HR department in her company is not well-organized and is only involved in hiring new employees. There is no Grievance Redressal Policy in place for her to raise concerns.

I am concerned that if she continues working in the same environment, she may become distressed, or if she perseveres, she may set a negative example for future generations of executives.

Thanks in advance.

S

Dear S,

Whatever is happening at your friend's workplace is quite unfortunate. This should not happen to anyone.

The situation that you have explained in your post prevails in a large number of companies. This is because when business owners start their enterprise, their major concentration is on organizing the funds, getting investors on board, investing in capital equipment, etc. Against this backdrop, they consider that humans employed are of least importance. Motivation at the workplace or the interpersonal environment in the company is of no consequence to them. They do not make specific efforts to build organizational culture. When culture is allowed to form on its own, a malformed culture takes shape as the one you have explained. Little do the business owners realize that it is the organizational culture that holds their growth back. However, whatever is happening in your friend's company must be with the countenance of the top leadership. Otherwise, that TL or Senior Manager will not muster the courage to do that.

The stress that your friend is experiencing is not new in Indian companies. Occasionally, business dailies conduct surveys and publish their survey reports on subjects like this. Click the following link to refer to one such survey report:

[Disrespect at workplace major cause of stress, says HR study](http://www.businesstoday.in/management/leadership/disrespect-at-workplace-major-cause-of-stress-says-hr-study/story/231351.html)

Disempowered HR adds woes to the employees. Intemperate immediate superiors, unsupportive senior managers, and ineffectual HR lead to the exit of a large number of employees. Since this is a hidden cost, it is ignored by the top leadership.

So what is the solution to your friend's problem? It depends on the employment needs of your friend. If your friend is in need, then let her bide her time in the company and quit once she completes 1-2 years. If she is in a position to confront the senior authorities, then let her covertly do audio recordings. She should do this when her senior displays her irascibility. Your friend should be cautious while doing the audio recording.

Later, your friend may submit a written application to address her grievance. If her seniors turn a cold shoulder to her application, then she may still escalate it to her senior authorities. If still no action is taken, then she may approach the local labor officer and submit evidence of her harassment. However, there is no guarantee that the labor officer will intervene. Occasionally, their vested interests drive them to get involved in the internal matters of the company.

Word of caution: Though I have suggested options to handle the issue, I also recommend your friend to do introspection. Let her maintain records on the issues for which her TL has/had chided her. What steps has she taken to avoid the repetition of mistakes? Let her seek guidance from her colleagues on how to improve her workplace performance. Granted that your friend's TL wears a chip on her shoulder, but your friend could be provoking her to do so. Many times at the junior level, mistakes are made due to a lack of common sense. Is your friend failing on that count?

Last comments: Do you work in your friend's company? Have you personally witnessed how your friend comes under fire from her TL? Is it that your friend works in another company but has shared her story with you? If yes, in that case, this is her version, and we need to know the version of her seniors as well.

All the best to your friend!

Dinesh Divekar

Psychological harassment is unpleasant behavior that demonstrate itself in the form of conduct, verbal comments, actions or gestures characterized by the following four criteria:

They are repetitive*;

They are unsociable or undesirable;

They affect the person’s dignity or psychological integrity, and

They result in a harmful work environment.

Sexual harassment at work is also included in this definition.

What is vexatious behavior?

It is humiliating or abusive behavior that lowers a person’s self-esteem or causes him torment.

It is also behavior that exceeds what the person considers to be appropriate and reasonable in the performance of his work.

Psychological harassment may come from a superior, a colleague, a group of colleagues, a customer, a supplier…

* A single serious incidence of such behavior may also constitute psychological harassment if it undermines the person’s psychological or physical integrity and if it has a lasting harmful effect.

A few common ways in which harassment is expressed

Making rude, degrading or offensive remarks.

Making gestures that seek to intimidate, engaging in reprisals.

Discrediting the person: spreading rumors, ridiculing him, humiliating him, calling into question his convictions or his private life, shouting abuse at him or sexually harassing him.

Belittling the person: forcing him to perform tasks that are belittling or below his skills, simulating professional misconduct.

Preventing the person from expressing himself: yelling at him, threatening him, constantly interrupting him, prohibiting him from speaking to others.

Isolating the person: no longer talking to him at all, denying his presence, distancing him from others.

Destabilizing the person: making fun of his convictions, his tastes and his political choices.

Management rights and normal conditions of employment

Psychological harassment must not be confused with the normal exercise of the employer’s management rights, in particular his right to assign tasks and his right to reprimand or impose disciplinary sanctions.

Insofar as the employer does not exercise these rights in an abusive or discriminatory manner, his actions do not constitute psychological harassment.

Prevention first

Prevention in the undertaking remains the best means of combating psychological harassment. It is the employer’s responsibility to take reasonable steps to prevent psychological harassment and to put a stop to such behavior when it is brought to his knowledge.

Sound management practices

Promote respectful interpersonal communication.

Manage the members of his staff fairly.

Take quick and appropriate action to manage conflicts; do not allow the situation to deteriorate.

Clearly define the responsibilities and tasks of each employee.

Put in place in his undertaking a procedure that is known, efficient, credible and adapted to reality, to allow persons to report cases of harassment confidentially.

Resort, in certain cases, to specialized resources to help put a stop to a psychological harassment situation and to prevent other such situations from arising.

What should you do in the event of psychological harassment at work?

Wherever possible:

Talk about the problem you are experiencing with someone that you are close to, a person that you trust. Do not remain isolated;

Express very clearly to the person who is the source of the unwanted behavior your wish to see such behavior cease immediately.

Check inside the undertaking if there is a procedure making it possible to report the unwanted behavior confidentially.

Bring the matter to the attention of your employer who must put a stop to this behavior by taking appropriate steps.

The Act respecting Labor Standards provides recourse in the event of psychological harassment at work, which is available to every employee, whether unionized, non-unionized, or at the senior managerial level. The Act sets a 90-day period to file a complaint

Dear Friend,

This is a very serious harassment on a daily basis and an unpleasant atmosphere in your department, where nobody can support you or handhold you. You yourself have to come out of it. Either you leave the organization if enough is enough or become like one of them if that is the culture they are trying to build for their organization.

If you are strong enough to raise your voice against your seniors, do not fear. Approach the nearest women's harassment cell in your city to combat the situation, or else resign from the job. You will get a better, more respectful job than staying with such a bunch of so-called professional eccentrics.

Think twice before you jump to any conclusions.

Take care!

Wilma Gupta