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Alaina McVoy
HRM 602
November 22, 2018

Workplace Bullying
Sexual Harassment
Workplace Diversity
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There are many issues which Human Resource Managers deal with each day. For the

purpose of this proposal, I have focused on the three most prominent issues I have dealt with in

during my time in the HRM field. First and foremost, sexual harassment in the workplace is an

ongoing issue that continues to escalate. Whether lack of understanding, lack of boundaries or

poor training is to blame, the issue is growing and needs to be addressed. Additionally,

workplace bullying will be addressed as it coincides with sexual harassment in some aspects.

Lastly I will touch on diversity in the workplace as it is in direct relation with both sexual

harassment and bullying.

In order to implement policies surrounding sexual harassment, one must understand the

definition. According to ​Sexual Harassment, Workplace Authority, and the Paradox of Power,

​ exual harassment is classified as a form of sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil
“S

Rights Act of 1964. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines it as

“‘unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct

of a sexual nature” that interferes with one’s employment or work performance or creates a

“hostile or offensive work environment’” (​U.S. EEOC 2011​). Sexual harassment is typically

thought of as a relation between two opposite sex individuals but it needs to be noted that sexual

harassment is also an issues between same sex individuals. For example, in the ​Smith vs.

Rock-Tenn Services ​case, a suit was filed as a male felt sexually harassed, which some

considered “horseplay”. It was brought to the attention of the courts that just because “boys will

be boys”, does not mean their actions will be dismissed. Educating about sexual harassment

along with better implementation of policies will, “ideally lead to more inclusive work
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environments and stricter adherence to zero-tolerance sexual harassment policies”. (Dean, 2015)

The United States court of appeals decided in favor of the appellant once the case was reviewed

as they have with many cases where clear policies and procedures were not in place and

followed.

My proposal to better the workplace environment by reducing sexual harassment includes

creating a straightforward policy which explains exactly what sexual harassment is, what to do if

you see sexual harassment in the workplace or if you are being harassed, as well as a very clearly

written no tolerance policy explaining procedures if an employee is found sexually harassing

another. The policy will then be distributed to all employees and posted in a visible area.

First, the policy will define sexual harassment and list examples. It will go on to

procedures to follow if you are someone you know or witness is being seuxally harassed. The no

tolerance policy will follow which will notify all employees that there is not toleration for sexual

harassment in the workplace and will clearly list consequences for employees who commit

sexual harassment such as suspension and termination.The policy will be clear yet concise and

will be a resource for each and every employee from hourly workers to upper management.

Workplace bullying goes hand in hand with sexual harassment. Since workplace bullying

is less reported, bullies are not held accountable for their actions as they often are in sexual

harassment scenarios. Bullying in the workplace lead to sexual harassment therefore it is an

important topic in the HRM world. According to Dominion Systems, ​3 Ways to Create a Bully

Free Workplace, ​workplace bullying is,​ “repeated actions that have the intent of intimidating,

humiliating, or degrading, and are directed toward an employee.” Workplace bullying has

become very common across the United States. Understanding workplace bullying means
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digging farther than the basic definition, “workplace bullying is a complex issue with

antecedents at the individual, departmental and organizational level” (Johnson, 2015).

In order to evaluate and reduce workplace bullying, I propose a new workplace bullying

policy which will require workplace bullying identification and prevention training yearly and

upon hire for all employees, including upper management. Since bullying is also often thought to

involve an abuse of power (McMahon, 2000), the training will begin with upper management

and be sure to reach each and every employee of the company. The policy to be implemented to

reduce workplace bullying will be modeled by the Society for Human Resource Management

Workplace Bullying Policy. The general policy below, by the Society for Human Resource

Management, 2018, will be used for our company:

Workplace Bullying Policy

Objective

The purpose of this policy is to communicate to all employees, including supervisors,

managers and executives, that [Company Name] will not in any instance tolerate
bullying behavior. Employees found in violation of this policy will be disciplined, up to
and including termination.

Definition

[Company Name] defines bullying as repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or

more people by one or more perpetrators. It is abusive conduct that includes:
Threatening, humiliating or intimidating behaviors.
Work interference/sabotage that prevents work from getting done.
Verbal abuse.
Such behavior violates [Company Name]’s Code of Ethics, which clearly states that all
employees will be treated with dignity and respect.

Examples
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[Company Name] considers the following types of behavior examples of

bullying:

Verbal bullying. ​Slandering, ridiculing or maligning a person or his or her family;

persistent name-calling that is hurtful, insulting or humiliating; using a person as the butt
of jokes; abusive and offensive remarks.
​ ushing, shoving, kicking, poking, tripping, assault or threat of
Physical bullying. P
physical assault, damage to a person’s work area or property.
​ onverbal gestures that can convey threatening messages.
Gesture bullying. N
Exclusion. ​Socially or physically excluding or disregarding a person in work-related
activities.

This policy will be distributed and posted within the company. It is a clear explanation of

expectations, simply put so employees on every level can understand it.

Workplace diversity is an issue of which many employees do not realize exists. Diversity

in the workplace, “benefits the organization through more innovations, better decision-making, a

larger talent pool, and a wider customer base” (Cox, 1993). It is up to the human resource

professionals during talent acquisition and hiring to ensure diversity in the workplace by

considering every applicant regardless of sex, national origin and other factors.

A policy I plan to put in place as a human resource manager is one where the

organization places an emphasis on change and growth by offering diversity training to our

hiring managers. My policy will also ensure that federal laws and regulations are followed

regarding discrimination in the workplace. During meetings and events all employees will be

welcomed to participate in anyway they please and will be encouraged to speak about their

differences in an appropriate manner. Research has shown that, “ HR practices are seen as one of
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the keys to the effective management of workplace diversity, with the suggestion that the diverse

groups and workforces are more likely to have positive outcomes when people management

practices are designed to promote their benefits” ( Avery & McKay, 2010). My policy will

inform employees of consequences for inappropriate physical or verbal actions against any

employee due to a simple difference. Additionally during yearly reviews with the human

resource department, there will be a section regarding workplace diversity where the human

resources manager and the employees can ask questions and have a discussion about diversity in

their workplace and what has been learned over the year from others. I think allowing for a more

humanistic side to the topic will produce better conversation along with growth potential within

the company.

Overall, whenever there is an appropriate chance as the human resource manager, I will

make it a point to review federal laws relating to discrimination and diversity in the workplace. I

will do this because as the HR professional, I can not expect my employees to be as fluent in

these laws as human resources is but I can help them to become more fluent in them which I feel

is of the utmost importance.

In summary, I will propose polices to combat sexaul harassment in the workplace and

well as workplace bullying and to promote workplace diversity. I will do this in order to make

the common workplace the the most positive, productive and growing environment as possible

and to provide the best management to my employees.

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Works Cited page

Avery D. R., & McKay P. F. (2010). Doing diversity right: An empirically based approach to
effective diversity management In Hodgkinson G. P., editor; , & Ford J. K., editor. (Eds.),
International review of industrial and organizational psychology (Vol. 25, pp. 227–252).
Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

Cox T. H. (1993). Cultural diversity in organizations: Theory, research and practice. San
Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Dean, K. (2016). Employment Law--Smith V. Rock-Teisn. Services--Employer Held Liable

for Same-Sex Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. ​Tennessee Journal of Law & Policy​,
2​(2), 154–157. Retrieved from
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http://proxy-wcupa.klnpa.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=tr
ue&db=a9h&AN=122574164&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Johnson, S. L. (2015). Workplace bullying prevention: a critical discourse analysis. ​Journal

of Advanced Nursing,​ ​71(​ 10), 2384–2392.
https://doi-org.proxy-wcupa.klnpa.org/10.1111/jan.12694

McMahon, L. (2000). Bullying and harassment in the workplace. International Journal of

Contemporary Hospitality Management, 12(6), 384-387.

McLaughlin, H., Uggen, C., & Blackstone, A. (2012). Sexual Harassment, Workplace
Authority, and the Paradox of Power. ​American Sociological Review​, ​77​(4), 625–647.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122412451728

Smith vs. Rock-Tenn Services (United States Court of Appeals February 10, 2016).

Workplace Bullying Policy​. Society for Human Resource Management, 2018,

www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/policies/pages/cms_018350.aspx​.

3 WAYS TO CREATE A BULLY-FREE WORKPLACE. (2018, January 3). Retrieved

November 2, 2018, from
https://www.dominionsystems.com/blog/3-ways-to-create-a-bully-free-workplace