Sexual harassment: how to respond?

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QMI agency

Wednesday, October 18, 2017 13:01

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Wednesday, October 18, 2017 13:01

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MONTREAL – The psychological harassment in the workplace, which includes sexual harassment, is not always easy to define.

The president of the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréées, Ms. Marianne Plamondon, has discussed the issue of harassment and misconduct sexual with host Mario Dumont to LCN.

How do you define sexual misconduct? “It takes a vexatious behaviour, that is to say, conduct which is offensive, which is humiliating,” according to Me Plamondon. “The criterion is determined as a function of a person said to be reasonable, a third person in a similar situation would believe that this is a normal situation? From the moment the answer is no, it has a vexatious behaviour”, she explained.

The affront to the dignity form the second criterion for defining harassment in the workplace. “The person who has suffered the situation-she felt humiliated? We do not need a medical report to prove it, but is what the person has felt hurt in his self-love,” said Me Plamondon.

The effect of gestures on the working climate is also part of elements that define the harassment.

“Is that it creates an unhealthy work environment, is that it has made people uncomfortable? Is it that it has prevented the victim to develop professionally?” has listed Me Marianne Plamondon.

It is up to the employer to prove that it has taken the necessary steps to prevent and stop the harassment, she added.

“As the boss ultimate, it has the obligation to prevent harassment, to an action, usually one of the workplace’s harassment policies, it should be spread so that these behaviors are not tolerated, she said. From the moment a patron is informed of a situation, it must take measures to put a stop to it quickly.”