Cultivating Inclusive Culture

Practical Steps to Foster a Culture of Respect and Eliminate Sexual Harassment

Corporate Culture culture is pivotal to addressing workplace sexual harassment effectively. As defined by Li and Van Der Steen (2021), corporate culture embodies a group’s shared beliefs, assumptions, values, or preferences and thus shapes behaviours and establishes expectations across the organisation.

Under the UK’s Worker Protection Act, cultivating a culture that prioritises respect, inclusion, and gender equality is critical to meeting the preventative duty to combat harassment.

In many respects having a respectful culture is the key element of the new paradigm to address workplace sexual harassment.

A culture which fundamentally rejects disrespectful and harassing behaviours sets the parameters for all other pillars which reinforce a successful strategy against sexual harassment.

Although anyone can be targeted by sexual harassment, the fact is that in the UK, men are the main perpetrators of workplace sexual harassment and women are the primary victims. The treatment which women receive broadly and in all areas of the organisation will provide an indication of whether the culture may turn a blind eye to unlawful treatment of women or not. 

 

Key Indicators of a Harassment-Resistant Culture

There are two significant cultural signals which indicate that sexual harassment is unlikely to occur: 
 

A Culture of Civility and Respect for Women

 

  • Promote a culture of general civility and respect toward all individuals, regardless of gender.
  • Establish a culture where women feel valued and equal contributors to the organisation.

 

 

An Organisational Commitment to Address Complaints

 

 

  • Create an atmosphere where employees believe the organisation takes complaints seriously.
  • Ensure that complaints lead to effective actions and consequences for the perpetrators.

 

Studies, including the RAND Military Workplace study in 2021, reveal that when leaders actively combat sexual harassment and exemplify respectful behaviours, reports of harassment decrease. There are countless further examples that support this.

Organisations seeking to assess whether their culture can meet the challenges of the Preventative Duty will need to consider:

 

The Combination of Organic Evolution and Purposeful Design

  • Recognise that culture evolves organically but can also be intentionally shaped.
  • Leaders are pivotal in setting the cultural tone, but every member plays a role in shaping the corporate culture.

 
 

 

A whole-systems approach to developing an inclusive culture

  • A collective effort of leaders, employees, and organisational symbols, systems & processes that shape culture. 
  • Everyone recognises their shared responsibility for culture creation and adaptation when necessary. 

 
 

 
 

Compliance Expectations from Regulatory Bodies

  • The UK’s EHRC (Equality and Human Rights Commission) underscores the importance of fostering a safe and inclusive organisational culture as a prerequisite for meeting legal obligations.

 

 

 

With suitable measurement tools available, organisations can set themselves up for early detection of how their culture is faring, what their people are experiencing and whether they are meeting their Preventative Duty.

In summary, fostering a respectful culture and continuously monitoring its health are pivotal to achieving compliance with legal obligations under the preventative duty. This ensures legal compliance and also promotes an environment where everyone feels safe, respected, and valued.

 

Practical guidelines

 

PROMOTE A CULTURE OF CIVILITY AND RESPECT FOR WOMEN:

Encourage respectful interactions among all employees. Establish an environment where women are valued as equal contributors. 

DEMONSTRATE ORGANISATIONAL COMMITMENT TO ADDRESS COMPLAINTS:

Foster a workplace atmosphere where employees believe that complaints are taken seriously and addressed promptly. Ensure that complaints lead to meaningful actions and consequences for perpetrators to maintain trust in the complaint resolution process. 

SHAPE CULTURE WITH LEADERSHIP AND COLLECTIVE EFFORT:

Culture is shaped by the combined efforts of leaders, employees, and organisational systems. Leaders set the tone, but everyone contributes to shaping culture. All members of the organisation share the responsibility for creating a respectful culture. 

IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING:

Implement training programs that promote respectful behaviour and prevent harassment. Ensure that there are adequate resources for training and educating employees about their rights and responsibilities. 

REGULARLY REVIEW AND ADAPT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:

Perform regular audits of policies and procedures to ensure they support a respectful and inclusive culture. Be open to feedback and willing to adapt policies as necessary to secure a positive workplace environment. 

LEVERAGE AI FOR CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION:

Enhance reporting, predictive analytics, policy consistency, and real-time feedback. Use AI to meet the mandated proactive requirement to prevent harassment and discrimination effectively.