Thirty-one per cent of Canadian men and 47 per cent of women have reported experiencing some form of harassment or sexual assault in the workplace. In addition, 44 per cent of women reported experiencing inappropriate sexualized behaviours in a workplace setting, compared to 29 per cent of men.
Sexual harassment is a damaging form of psychological sexual harassment. Based on the above data, psychological sexual harassment is a pervasive issue in many workplaces, putting victims at increased risk of mental harm. Any person experiencing such behaviour without support to quickly intervene, stop it, or ask for help can find themselves in crisis.
This form of harassment typically involves non-physical behaviours that create a hostile or offensive atmosphere, including staring, violating personal space, inappropriate jokes, suggestive comments, unwanted attention, or sharing explicit materials. Unlike physical harassment, psychological sexual harassment can be subtle, making it challenging to identify and address.
Several factors can contribute to why psychological sexual harassment incidents occur in the workplace. One is power dynamics, where a person perceived to be or in a position of authority misuses their role to gain control for personal satisfaction. Another factor can be differing cultural and societal norms that result in inappropriate behaviour.
In some cases, loneliness, self-esteem issues, or mental health challenges influence judgment or consideration for how behaviours could be negatively received. A lack of a safe and respectful workplace policy and adequate training can create an environment where inappropriate behaviours are tolerated or overlooked.
Preventing psychological sexual harassment
Preventing psychological sexual harassment requires a proactive approach and a commitment to fostering a respectful workplace culture. The following are strategies to help prevent this form of harassment:
Obtain a baseline: When collecting employee data through a workplace assessment, include the percentage of employees who have experienced any form of incivility, bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, or workplace violence.
Establish clear policies: Organizations should develop comprehensive anti-harassment policies that define psychological sexual harassment and outline procedures for reporting and addressing complaints. These policies should be communicated to all employees and reinforced regularly.
Educate and train employees: Conduct behaviour-based training sessions that educate employees on psychological sexual harassment, how to stop this behaviour, and their role as upstanders. Ensure training includes information about support systems and how to obtain help.
Leadership training: Ensure leaders are trained to set the standard for appropriate behaviour and understand their role in supporting at-risk employees.
One key aspect of addressing psychological sexual harassment is understanding that intention and impact are not necessarily the same. An individual may intend their behaviour as a joke or a compliment, but the recipient might perceive it as offensive or degrading, leading to a harmful impact. Effective leadership, a safe and respectful policy, and behaviour-based training should emphasize this distinction and encourage employees to practise self-awareness and empathy—considering how their actions might affect others.
A three-step approach to confronting psychological sexual harassment
Individuals and organizations can employ a three-step approach to confront psychological sexual harassment before it escalates:
Recognize, stop and document: Employees should be aware of the behaviours that constitute psychological sexual harassment. When such behaviours are observed, the first action is to feel safe and confident to confront the individual and request that they stop (e.g., Direction: “(Name of person, in a respectful tone)—I do not appreciate that kind of comment.” Wait for a response and close out the request). If you do not feel comfortable, seek support to stop the behaviour. Documenting the details of the incident(s), including dates, times, the nature of the behaviour, and any witnesses, can be crucial for reporting and resolution.
Escalate to the manager or HR: If the behaviour is excessive or does not stop, escalate it to your direct manager or HR to share your concern. Report the facts of the behaviours and what was said as factually as possible. This may result in formal or informal actions to immediately engage the party named to stop their behaviour. Depending on the severity, there may be a need for resolution and setting clear boundaries.
Resolution: Not every person who engages in psychological sexual harassment will face HR consequences such as a workplace investigation or discipline up to termination. When emotions are hurt—and when appropriate—it is beneficial to facilitate an opportunity for resolution, for the perpetrator to apologize and make assurances that the behaviour will not happen again. Every situation is unique. If two employees in the same workplace have engaged in unhealthy interpersonal conflict, never assume, but ensure all parties are clear on boundaries and aim to restore a professional working relationship, if possible. This will be impossible in some cases. Employers committed to psychological safety accept that learning can sometimes be uncomfortable when holding people accountable for their actions to promote a standard that is acceptable and aligned with the organization’s values and policies.
Psychological sexual harassment is an insidious issue that requires a concerted effort to address. Employers committed to psychological safety understand that this issue is far from being curbed in many organizations.
A common mistake made by senior leaders is assuming that if they don’t see it, it’s not happening. Senior leadership should make it clear that there is zero tolerance for psychological sexual harassment and institute support, follow-up, and monitoring to track and ensure that the baseline score continues to go down year over year.
