How to act in harassment situations

In this chapter, we will deal with harassment cases and present some instructions on how to process the situations. We will first go through instructions for those who have experienced harassment and for those accused of harassment. After this, we will explain how organisations can process harassment situations.

3. Processing harassment cases in organisations

Bullying and harassment are a problem for the entire organisation and community, as the prejudices and power relations present in our society can also be seen in organisational activities. Individuals are not responsible for the discrimination or harassment they face. Even though all conflicts do not constitute bullying or harassment, any conflicts between the members of an organisation may still negatively affect the organisation’s operation. When an organisation already has principles and an action plan ready for when it needs to take action against harassment, it is easier for the people involved in the organisation to take action when such a situation arises. This is also a step towards better and more inclusive organisational activities. In the following sections, we will describe certain measures and processes organisations can use when planning their own activities.