Poisons are bad news. The mere presence of a poisonous substance in a person’s body could be lethal. It can foul up internal processes, make a person so sick, and eventually cause death. Sexual harassment is like poison for any organisation. It can foul up a company’s internal dynamics and make it so dysfunctional. For startups, dealing with sexual harassment is certain death.
Profile of a Poison
The UK government defines sexual harassment as “Sexual harassment is any unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that makes you feel intimidated, degraded, humiliated or offended.” Any behaviour that involves any suggestion of sex and that makes a person feel uncomfortable or threatened can be considered sexual harassment. This includes, but isn’t limited to, the following.
- Jokes about sex
- Showing explicit photos or videos
- Sexual comments
- Unwanted and unwelcome touching anywhere on the body
- Stolen or forced kisses
- Outright sexual assault
This list can go on and on. But in essence, it includes anything that is sexual in nature or that implies sex. It is unwanted and makes a someone feel uncomfortable. While we commonly think of harassment as being committed by men on women, it isn’t exclusively the case. It can be perpetrated by an individual of any gender on anyone – men and women alike.
The Effects on a Person
Clinical psychologists have long proven that experiencing sexual harassment can trigger depression and anxiety, even with persons who have never experienced these symptoms before. Many victims also exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), especially if the harassment escalated into violence. It’s easy to think that all this stress and anxiety is all in the head. But the effects of stress and anxiety do manifest themselves as physical consequences, as well. And as it turns out, stress and anxiety are the least of the problems victims need to deal with.
Severe and protracted exposure to harassment could lead to substance abuse as individuals try to cope with the problem. It’s also common for people in these stressful situations to develop stomach problems, suffer from intense headaches, and experience aches and pains in parts of the body. If unaddressed, it could lead to serious depression and suicidal tendencies.
The Effects on the Startup Organisation
Now, imagine just a single member of a startup company suffering from sexual harassment. That person will surely dread going to work. But even in the workplace, that person’s concentration will be so affected that it would take monumental effort for them to get the job done. The worker experiencing harassment could suffer from health issues. And these can certainly affect the execution of work. If that employee happens to be responsible for a mission-critical task, then it could certainly have consequences on the ability of the company, as a whole, to deliver.
And what about trust in the workplace? In his book, “The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team,” American business writer Patrick Lencioni mentions that trust is probably the single most important attribute that an organisation must absolutely have in order for it to function smoothly. When sexual harassment lurks within the dark corners of a startup company – any company! – there can be no trust within that organisation. It is doomed to implode, eaten from within by its hidden predator.
Not that the welfare of the company is the only thing that matters. Sexual harassment is morally wrong, to begin with. In fact, it is a crime at certain levels. Startups need to spot it instantly, deal with it decisively, and extinguish it before it can result in serious harm to the victims. Naturally, this is good for the venture in the long term. The Equality Act 2010 holds employers legally responsible if an employee is sexually harassed at work, and the employer fails to take the necessary actions to prevent it from happening.
Dealing with Workplace Sexual Harassment
In the past, the issue of harassment has always been difficult for victims, especially if the perpetrator is in a position of power. But with recent developments, such as the snowballing of the Me Too movement in the United States, victims have grown more assertive and vocal about dealing with the problem. And so, the first thing that must be made available is a means through which victims can report that they are experiencing harassment. Such a mechanism must provide a safe and supportive environment for the victim. The victim must be able to place their trust and faith on this to air their grievance and expect that it will be heard and taken seriously.
And that’s the next element of the equation. Companies must take these complaints seriously. They must have a concrete plan for addressing the issue with the appropriate response. Then they must follow through with the necessary action, including pursuing legal or law enforcement options if this is necessary.
Sadly, resolving the issue at the organisational level does not necessarily resolve it for the victim. Emotional scars are often the most difficult to heal. For victims, the adverse effects can linger on for quite some time. The trust that was broken could also take a while to build back, if at all. Support groups and therapy for the victim may help and should be explored. For the startup, an incident like this could cause distrust within the workplace, at the very least. Or it could erupt into a full-scale scandal that affects its image, market position, and chances for securing financing. Like a poison that lingers in the body, the ill effects of sexual harassment could undermine everything that a vibrant and promising startup has built and turn it into a hollow shell of its former self.
Written by our Head of People, Mustafa Shreet