A Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment (the Advisory) was released in December 2015 by MOM, NTUC and SNEF after a consultative process with AWARE.
Harassment involves threatening, abusive or insulting words, behaviours or communications. It can be sexual in nature, and in some cases can be defined as sexual assault.
The Advisory advises employers to develop a harassment prevention policy, to provide staff with information and training on workplace harassment, and to implement appropriate reporting and response procedures.
Some other examples of harassment are in this page, while more information on sexual assault can be found here.
The Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) at AWARE seeks to help and support people who have faced workplace sexual harassment. In 2015, SACC received 62 complaints about workplace sexual harassment. The figure in 2014 was 61.
“Workplace harassment is against the law,” said Corinna Lim, Executive Director of AWARE. “This Advisory confirms that employers must play a proactive role in preventing and addressing it.”
“Usually, people facing workplace sexual harassment aren’t looking to punish the harasser,” said Corinna Lim. “They just want to see employers put a stop to it. If they have no confidence in the employer, they may suffer in silence, or just leave. But if an employer has proper policies and processes, it makes a real difference.”
Catalyse Consulting – AWARE’s corporate training arm – has updated its anti-harassment curriculum to help employers understand and implement these recommendations effectively. This builds on AWARE’s long-standing experience with anti-harassment training, which AWARE began offering in 2010.
“Introducing anti-harassment measures for the first time can seem challenging to employers,” said Rachel Yeoh, Executive at Catalyse Consulting. “But we draw on our experience to make the transition a smooth one. The results are a more inclusive workplace – and more engaged employees.”
You can read the full Advisory here, and see more news coverage of the Advisory here.
If you have faced workplace sexual harassment and wish to talk, please call (6779 0282, Mon-Fri, 10am-Midnight) or email (sacc@aware.org.sg).
If you are an employer and would like to know more about how to prevent and deal with workplace sexual harassment, you can find out more about Catalyse Consulting here.
