In many cases of workplace harassment, more than just the victim and the offender are involved. Instead, a large number of employees may be aware that something is wrong but choose not to bring it up. Legal action, arrests, and justice have previously been hampered by the culture of silence around workplace harassment.
On the other side, recognizing warning signs and speaking out right away helps hasten the course of justice. By recognizing and avoiding the bystander effect, you can break the cycle of inaction. If you believe you have been the victim of workplace harassment, contact PLBH at (800) 435-7542 for a legal consultation with an employment law attorney.
The bystander effect’s dangers
Workplace harassment is significantly less likely to be eradicated in a culture of quiet than it is in a culture of empowerment, free speech, and interventions. If no one speaks out against harassment, the offender might never be held accountable. In fact, some harassers might not even be aware that their behavior is being seen as harassment. By speaking up, employees can start a conversation, demonstrate that they will not put up with harassment, and stop the practice from being accepted in the workplace.
The bystander effect, or when everyone in the workplace refrains from reporting harassment, may be the cause of the pervasiveness of harassment and discrimination in the workplace. In essence, bystanders who do nothing while someone engages in behavior that can be considered harassment are condoning it. By not speaking out against the harasser, you run the risk of giving the idea that you are supporting the harasser, which will make the workplace hostile for everyone.
Bystanders who remain silent about harassing behavior at work also legitimize it. By remaining silent, spectators are demonstrating to other workers—such as new hires—that this is standard office procedure. This can then lead to the harassing cycle continuing and spreading to the following workforce. Most importantly, the bystander effect might not succeed in shielding workers from serious injury. Perhaps there would be fewer victims of harassment, abuse, and rape in the workplace if more onlookers spoke up.
How to break the silence cycle
The most crucial thing for an employee to do is to recognize and report sexual harassment as soon as it occurs. Speak up if you’ve been the victim or if a coworker is being subjected to harassment-like actions. Describe what you heard or witnessed to your human resources representative. Send a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission about your employer. The sooner you take action, the sooner harassment victims will get help. Don’t wait for the victim to speak up on their own. You must speak up if you are a bystander.
To stop the bystander effect at work, learn to identify and report workplace harassment. You might decide how sexual harassment is handled in the future at the business. Although you shouldn’t have to fight this war alone, you can be the first to speak up and take action against workplace harassment. Don’t be reluctant to speak out first if you notice something that isn’t right. If the victim is worried about repercussions like retaliation, persuade them to speak forward. Let the victim know that he or she is not suffering in silence and is not alone.
Learn about employee rights so that you and your coworkers can reduce the likelihood of the bystander effect. The more you and your coworkers are aware of workplace harassment, the simpler it will be to identify and resolve this issue. For example, becoming more conscious of one’s own actions and behaviors and avoiding those that others could interpret as dangerous might be facilitated by learning the warning signs of harassment.
To safeguard employees, expose harassment, and stop the same thing from happening again with new hires, prompt reporting is essential. Do not tolerate workplace harassment by remaining silent. Participate in the solution. Contact PLBH at (800) 435-7542 now if you have been the victim of workplace harassment and require a legal consultation with an employment law attorney.