A Time to Reflect – An Opportunity to Act
As we reflect on the past weeks and the events surrounding the brave women who spoke out to make allegations of violence by former CBC host Jian Ghomeshi, we are reminded of the responsibility organizations have to protect their workers from workplace hazards. When people are afraid to talk about what is happening to them, at work or in the community, we all pay the price.
Maybe, just maybe, if women feel safer to report because they know they will be supported, if co-workers can recognize the warning signs when they first see them and if earlier intervention can push those acting violently into getting real help, situations like those at CBC, in the NFL and NHL might not escalate to the degree we have seen. These are all things that can be learned. Large scale social change like ending violence against women is imaginable when we break it down into small do-able actions that everyone can do – it adds up. As CBC host Michael Enright said recently on the Sunday Edition, “It is a time to reflect and an opportunity to act.”
If your workplace doesn’t have a program that sets out a clear path of action and response for employees, it is time to set your course. You are not alone; most organizations are not prepared yet to meet their obligations. How to take pro-active responsibility for addressing violence and harassment in the workplace is still new thinking for many of us. It is a reason to work together, talk openly about the challenges and face the fear. And let’s be clear, we are working our way toward prevention. Yes, it is hard work and will take time, but the price of waiting for an event and then reacting after the fact is too high in both human costs and public relations. What has happened at CBC can happen anywhere there are people. This is our common ground.
Here is our best starting advice. You need a good policy that is a roadmap for everyone in the organization to follow. Teach everyone in your organization to recognize warning signs and risk factors. Teach everyone how to start the conversation when the signs show up. Build relationships with the experts in your community so that you know who to contact quickly.
Our collective capacity to address the issue of violence against women grows with every small step. And there are serious bottom-line benefits for progressive workplaces that go far beyond the mechanics of just dealing with the issue. There is much work to be done and we all have a role to play. Learn how you can help Make It Our Business.
