Workplace sexual harassment bystanders and allies
What You Can Do If You Witness Workplace Sexual Harassment
As a bystander or witness to workplace sexual harassment, you can play an essential role in supporting the person targeted by the harassment. Consider an immediate intervention to support someone who is being harassed. The Five D’s, developed by the Hollaback! movement and the bystander program Green Dot, provide bystanders with a range of options to respond to witnessing harassment.
Direct: If you feel that directly addressing harassment is safe and may be effective, you can confront the harasser and call out the behavior in the moment. Let them know you find their behavior inappropriate, intimidating or hostile, and ask them to stop. This approach may escalate the situation, so consider whether you and the person being harassed are safe and whether you believe the person being harassed wants someone to speak up.
Distract: You can stop an incident by simply interrupting it. Rather than focusing on the aggressor or action, this subtler intervention allows you to engage the person being targeted through a distraction – ask a question, start an unrelated conversation, physically interrupt the incident, or find a reason to call the person out of that space.
Delegate: Find an appropriate third party to intervene, such as a supervisor, human resources officer, security officer or another colleague.
It is important to consider whether you should ensure that someone in human resources or a supervisor is aware of the incident and that the individual who was harassed feels safe and protected from recurring harassment or retaliation. As a bystander, you should follow the lead of the person who has been harassed and seek their permission before sharing details or reporting an incident.
Promote equity and respect in your workplace, and be an ally to someone being harassed.
The most effective way to address harassment is to prevent it.
Consider your own biases – especially around gender, sex, race or ethnicity, and privilege – and how they affect your colleagues and workplace.
Start conversations with colleagues, supervisors and decision-makers about ways to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in your workplace.
Request that your workplace implement climate surveys and staff trainings on sexual harassment, bystander intervention, and diversity and inclusion.
Practice allyship with your colleagues – particularly those whose backgrounds or identities may be underrepresented in the organization or marginalized in society – by working to ensure their perspectives are heard, their contributions are recognized, and they are treated with respect.
