Workplace Harassment: Everything you need to know to avoid it - by Malini Chaudhri
Efforts have been made to document workplace laws generally and specifically. Here’s everything you need to know to avoid Workplace Harassment. For professionals and interns at work, the workplace is the most important place, even more than their home. Efforts have been made to document workplace laws generally and specifically. At the general level, the world and its court… Read More »
Efforts have been made to document workplace laws generally and specifically. Here’s everything you need to know to avoid Workplace Harassment.
For professionals and interns at work, the workplace is the most important place, even more than their home. Efforts have been made to document workplace laws generally and specifically. At the general level, the world and its court are concerned about training professionals behavioral skills that will prevent losses at work. At the specific level, the listing of issues is endless and management is all about controlling conflict around the work scenario.
Now what we know about the financial den, the skills, training, mentoring, assessing, reporting, teaming and gaining, SUCCESS is the name of the game. This is everyone’s forte, interest, and goal. Deviance in the workplace are from those with unethical competition, misuse, and exploitation of systems and employees to the extent that the equilibrium and productivity is threatened. Management arranges instant control and correction.
For employees in conflict, management arranges processes that provide calm indications of the issue.
This is done through grievance forms. Grievances have specific management protocols, failing which the employee can seek support from HR department, police, court or other. At the time of signing an employment contract, the individual should discuss the arrangement to documentation in-house for the management of grievances as sexual, racial, slander, sickness or other.
Conflict in India at work also may be noted in the lack of laws in arbitration, in workers compensation and in work ethics.
The judiciary is not very exposed to circumstances at work for young employees, newcomers or women, They may be cheated fast and may be permanently damaged by labour groups if they report to police. They have to manage intuitive controls and remain afloat. India’s youth have shouted out foul cries at the corruption in their midst.
The Workplace and employer dread police reports the most and can exercise any amount of violent control on an employee seeking justice.
In my first major job in India, even at the level of Director, I noticed frequent attempts at intervention from unseen competitors based in-house. I was paid only half my salary, and exorbitant taxes were deducted. This is despite my restoring the company entirely from closure. I was accepted for the post on a probationary basis, in which I had to be taught the skills, yet the company did not have the skill base. I was also put to great risk after my resignation and followed relentlessly, successive jobs intervened with, and the scam was arranged around me, my servants, friends, and family, absolutely to my residence, which was also endangered. The background enemy remained unseen, but there was evidence on the track left that showed India to be another hostility, seeking to harass and damage for the sake of ownership at work.
All said and done, in a situation where women do not become commandants, I could do little more than remain grateful for the immense opportunity given to me. The challenge of work is the greatest one before the judiciary. Women have a place at home with a child or two and a servant after the first year of conjugal bliss. There is little opportunity for growth. Employment changes the woman’s role in her milieu and can disturb her family support to her peace.
Harassment extends beyond the workplace.
Now there is family to discuss, traffic, rising costs, in-house competition, delays and low salaries that do not belong to workplace harassment, but the employee cannot locate the precise issue and everyone is blamed. This should be avoided at all costs.
There is a skill recognized to manage the workplace by taking remedial measures to avoid workplace harassment and subsequent failure of the employment machinery.
In courts, for instance, in case of delay, a lawyer can send a proxy to attend. The lawyer marked absent in court faces disreputation and a damaged career. This is a remedial action that avoids conflict and damages for the client also. Family issues must be managed with mediation and kindness. Seek support where there is confusion in issues. Build up teamwork where employees are unfriendly. Take a loan if funds are short, or make friends with those who can arrange work overtime.
In cases of sexual advances and innuendo, seek a channel in-house that can avert a crisis. Do not confront. Management of obscenity, flirtation and scam may be set up from anyone on innocent employees. A friend may support you by cutting in. Even the domestic staff knows how to intervene and observe where employees are being harassed. A lady employee, known to go along personally with an employer, is blacklisted in industry and government at work, and the stigma remains forever. Years later if issues explode in court cases, these significant details are kept and provided for the enemy to score.
In India and overseas, misuse of magic and mysticism has been noticed strongly at work.
So is deceit. In a job in China as a professor in a University, I resigned to return home as my term had finished. I wrote to an American colleague that I was interested in coming back to work in China. She received my letter, but instead went to the Principal, and said “Malini will never come back. Please give me her job.” A student was given a letter by me indicating my interest in returning. This letter secured my work and the Principal was able to bring me back to China with air cost, higher wages, and privileges.
There is a proverb in China which says ‘Treading the tail of the tiger. Yet he does not bite.” To enter the workplace, to me has been something like this. It shows risk. Yet all is well in the end.
By – Malini Chaudhri
Content Writer @ Legal Bites
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Related Links
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 – An overview
A Look Into Sexual Harassment at Workplace
How to Tackle Professional Troubles in your Law Career
