To ask, if you work in HR...

[HavelockVetinari]

What is your view of the way allegation of sexual harassment your organisation is handled, and what we could do to improve things for the (mostly) women who are sexually harassed and/or assaulted?

I was listening to Woman's Hour on R4, and there was guest on (a lawyer who set up and manages the sexual harassment at work advice line at Rights of Woman) who spoke about the experiences of women who've been sexually harassed/assaulted in the workplace. She said that for almost all the women who call the advice line, the problem was magnified enormously once HR were involved, and usually ended up with the woman leaving her job, either because she was forced out or because she could no longer cope with the backlash.

Are HR departments at fault, or are they simply being ignored by those higher up the chain? Or something else?

I know just because you work in HR doesn't mean you automatically have the answers, but it would be really interesting to hear from you.

The problem is it's often not provable, in terms of balance of probabilities. If there are no witnesses or CCTV and it's one person's word against theirs, you can't automatically decide the person is guilty.

HR don't "make it worse" but they have to follow procedures. That means getting as much evidence as possible which means asking uncomfortable questions and interviewing all concerned.

Even if a person is guilty or admits they did what they are accused of, it doesn't automatically mean they will be fired. It depends what the policies say and a balanced view of their overall history is taken into account. A man who makes a sexist joke is unlikely to be fired if he has an otherwise clean record, it is more likely he will be made to have some training on the subject to make sure he understands why he mustn't do it again.

A lot of women feel forced to leave because of this, if the person who harassed them doesn't leave.

Also, if someone makes an allegation it is natural for other people to be wary around them in future - not deliberately meaning to make them feel uncomfortable, but being ultra-careful not to say something that could be misconstrued as harassment. But the person who made the allegation may realise she is being treated in an odd and unnatural way - because she is - albeit not deliberately.

Tbh, Ive always thought HR should encourage the victim to go to the police. Put some safeguarding measures in place in the meantime that both potential victim and alleged offendor agree to. Then take decisive action depending on police/court outcome. After all, sexual harrasment is a crime. So it should be police led, with HR taking ancilliary action.