Harassment common even at virtual workplace

Working from home unfrotunately doesn't mean respite from inappropriate jibes and comments

The shift to working from home has also raised many challenges. One of the most important ones being an increase in cases of harassment. A joint survey conducted between April 6 and 19 by the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) and Never Okay Project found 86 of 315 respondents claimed they were sexually harassed while working from home and 68 said they witnessed sexual advances being made on their colleagues. Thirty respondents claimed they both experienced and witnessed such unwanted advances. Akancha Srivastava, founder of ‘Akancha Against Harassment’, India’s largest social impact initiative against cyber harassment says that they have seen a 100 per cent hike in such complaints since the lockdown. “We used to get 10 to 12 complaints a month and that has increased to 20-30 reports,” she says.

The way harassment takes place has also changed; some are so subtle that employees are left unsure whether the instance can be categorised as harassment. Here are some common patterns that are followed that one can look out for:

Calls at inappropriate time

It is okay to take on a rare late night call or meeting. However, if a colleague insists on discussing issues that could be communicated over mail or even the next day, put your foot down.

Comments on social media

It is okay to befriend a colleague on social media. However, if you feel that a coworker is stalking your profile, block them. Apart from haranguing young employees to accept a friend request, posting inappropriate comments or even bringing up a post during a work call/meeting, are other forms of harassment.

Dressed inappropriately during video calls

While one does not have to be dressed in formal attire, it is only right to be dressed decently. There have been many instances when a female employee attends a video call only to see their male colleague sitting in an obscene manner, sitting in boxers or really tight shorts, making the meeting an uncomfortable experience.

Explicit jokes, videos, audios and texts

Receiving sleazy forwards or even texts that comment on a person’s attire during a meeting have become common. Sometimes the messages may not be explicit, but can still make one uncomfortable. “I had just taken up the job and this co-worker seemed to take a particular interest in me. He would constantly message me asking if I had dinner, asking about my whereabouts and whatnot. It went on for weeks. I had to say that I have a boyfriend and ignore his messages until he got the hint,” shares Malavika John, content writer.

Sexual innuendos and comments in group chat

It is not okay to share dirty jokes, videos or even make comments of this manner on workgroups. Even if they are not targeted at a particular person, it can count as harassment. “Sometime in May, a group of employees got a mail with a link that looked like a Zoom call link. On clicking, they were directed to a porn video. They then received an anonymous mail which said that all their contacts were going to receive a mail stating that they had watched pornography,” says Akancha.

Intimidation

Being talked down to during meetings, excluding and sidelining them have become common ways of intimidation. Many female employees have been belittled for having responsibilities at home. An IT professional who did not want to be named shared that after receiving many unnecessary calls at odd hours she told her boss that she can’t entertain unscheduled calls. He responded by telling her that she had to sort out her priorities and quit if her family’s needs were more important.

The way forward

“Men really find ways to oppress women regardless of the situation. With everyone feeling insecure about their jobs, most women are likely to say silent lest they should be sidelined or be labelled a troublemaker,” says Akancha.

Since these are subtle incidents, many second-guess about reporting them. While many company companies had POSH committees set up after #MeToo, it has mostly been out of fear of being called out, she adds. In many cases, the complainant has been moved to another team or department as opposed to dealing with the perpetrator.

There is also the fact that since Work from Home was a policy that was implemented suddenly most companies don’t have guidelines put in place. However, the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) (POSH) act still applies. The definition of a ‘workplace’ is very wide, says Karan Joseph, advocate. “If your company arranges a cab to transport its employees, even that vehicle falls in the ambit of the workplace. So this can extend to even your home,” he explains.

Sexual harassment doesn't have to be face-to-face even in the office setting, so the same principle applies while working from home. Lack of proof should also not be a concern. Instances such as these are not usually isolated and take place over a period of time. Also, it might be easier to collect proof of harassment that takes place online. While there might be policies against recording work calls or videos, you have the option of taking screenshots of call timings, texts etc. “Write a complaint straight away to the Internal Complaints Committee. By doing so you are going on record and that will only work to your benefit,” he shares.