Workplaces are inevitably filled with human beings, and whenever people work together, workplace harassment and bullying can, unfortunately, become a part of some employees’ day-to-day lives. To ensure your employees’ well-being, it is important that we review a few things about workplace harassment so that it can be better addressed in your business.

What Is Harassment In The Eyes Of The Law?

When speaking of harassment, many people wrongly assume that it refers only to sexual harassment. However, sexual harassment is only one form of harassment that can take place in many different ways.

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) provides information on harassment that describes several forms that might be found in the workplace. Bullying is listed as the first form, and while this can take numerous forms, it also includes the spreading of malicious rumours or even insulting someone. It is particularly egregious if this is taking place on the basis of someone’s gender, disability, or racial background.

Mocking, ridiculing, and degrading someone or picking on them is also considered a form of harassment. Even setting someone up to fail can be construed as harassment. All forms of victimisation and exclusion, as well as unfair treatment, especially when based on aspects such as race, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, religion, disability, age, and even things like HIV status, are considered forms of harassment. Managers can also fall foul of harassment laws by being overbearing in their supervision and abusing their power.

When making threats or comments about job security, one has to be careful, as this can also be construed as a form of harassment unless those comments are founded on actual data. Deliberately preventing the progression of an individual by denying them employment and training opportunities is also a possible form of harassment.

Why We Should Combat Harassment In The Workplace

At the core of South Africa’s anti-harassment laws is the aim to ensure that every employee is treated with respect and afforded the dignity that they have a right to under the Constitution. Insofar as it applies to the workplace, employees should not have to put up with harassment by other employees, and this should be carefully managed. Thankfully, it can be easily avoided through proper vigilance and training.

If left unaddressed, harassment can be classed as unfair discrimination, which is a violation of human rights as laid out in the Constitution. This can lead to numerous different impacts, including legal ramifications.

Harassment can also lower morale, cause absenteeism, and reduce productivity owing to a drop in concentration levels among those involved. In some cases, it can even lead to workers resigning, which can weaken your workforce significantly.

Here at HR Simplified, we offer workplace harassment training to ensure that employee well-being is maintained and championed for a more productive workforce.