Safe work space policy
A WORKPLACE Harassment, Discrimination, and Anti-Bullying Policy is essential for creating a safe and inclusive work environment.
The policy outlines an organisation’s commitment to preventing and addressing harassment, discrimination, and bullying in the workplace.
With over 35,000 civil servants in Fiji, the Fiji Public Service Commission has released a new A Workplace Harassment, Discrimination, and AntiBullying Policy in January.
The PSC states harassment and bullying impacts civil servants work performance and has negative impacts on individual’s physical and mental health.
In this light, harassment and bullying must be regarded as a workplace health and safety issue and must be treated seriously and responsibly.
Harassment
The PSC policy states harassment involves treating a person unfavourably on the basis of perceived personal characteristics or circumstances, including race, culture, ethnic or social origin, colour, place of origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, birth, primary language, economic or social or health status, disability, age, religion, conscience, marital status or pregnancy, in the workplace.
It includes a single or repeated occurrence of personal harassment, sexual harassment and abuse of authority.
Harassment is also an act of systematic or continued unwanted and annoying actions of one party or a group, including threats and demands.
The PSC lists the following as harassment in the civil service:
■ Telling insulting jokes about particular racial groups, religious beliefs;
■ Sending explicit or sexually suggestive comments, emails or text messages;
■ Displaying racially offensive or pornographic posters or screensavers;
■ Making derogatory comments or taunts about someone’s race, physical ability or gender; and
■ Asking intrusive questions about someone’s personal life, including their sex life.
The PSC policy further defines personal harassment as any conduct, comment, display, action or gesture that is considered as unwelcoming and inappropriate and could have a harmful effect on a civil servant’s psychological or physical health or safety.
Examples of personal harassment are: Verbal abuse, yelling, and/or making threats;
❏ Making degrading or offensive comments, gestures, or jokes;
❏ Spreading gossip or rumours; intruding into persons privacy or belittle a person’s character;
❏ Inappropriate communication through social media, e-mail, or constant messaging;
❏ Actual or threatened physical contact or assault;
❏ Bullying or intimidation (for instance, sabotaging work equipment, interfering with someone’s ability to perform their duties).
The PSC states acceptable social interactions, jokes which are mutually acceptable, provided the interactions are respectful and there is no negative impact on other civil servants in the work environment.
PSC states as civil servants from various backgrounds may cross path at a workplace, they must acknowledge and be respectful while interacting with each other from traditional, cultural relationships such as traditional relationships and those between ethnic communities.
Sexual harassment
The PSC states sexual harassment is an unwelcome sexual advance, unwelcome request for sexual favours or other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature which makes a person feel offended, humiliated and/or intimidated, where a reasonable person would anticipate that reaction in the circumstances.
The PSC states some examples of sexually harassing behaviour include:
❍ Unwelcome touching;
❍ Staring or leering;
❍ Suggestive comments or jokes;
❍ Sexually explicit pictures or posters;
❍ Unwanted invitations to go out on dates;
❍ Requests for sex;
❍ Intrusive questions and remarks about a person’s private life or body;
❍ Unnecessary familiarity, such as deliberately brushing up against a person;
❍ Insults or taunts based on gender;
❍ Sexually explicit physical contact; and
❍ Sexually explicit emails or messages.
The PSC states anyone can be a victim of sexual harassment, regardless of their gender and of the gender of the harasser.
Sexual harassment may also occur between people of the same sex. What matters is that the sexual conduct is unwanted and unwelcome by the person against whom the conduct is directed.
Discrimination
The PSC states discrimination means any distinction, exclusion or preference based on the grounds of ethnicity, colour, gender, religion, political opinion, sexual orientation, age, social origin, marital status, pregnancy, family responsibilities, state of health including real or perceived HIV status, union membership or activity, or disability in respect of recruitment, training, promotion, terms and conditions of employment, termination of employment or other matters arising out of the employment relationship.
The PSC states discrimination is treating, or proposing to treat, someone unfavourably because of a personal characteristic protected by the law.
Gender discrimination also known as sexual discrimination, is any action that specifically denies opportunities, privileges, or rewards to a person (or a group) because of gender, states the PSC.
Discrimination occurs when a civil servant/person or group is treated less favourably than another person or group in a similar situation because of a personal characteristic, states the PSC.
Workplace bullying
The PSC states workplace bullying is an act of systemic, repeated, targeted pattern of behaviour known to cause fear, intimidation, humiliation, demoralise or distress and other forms of harm.
Bullying behaviour can range from obvious verbal or physical assault to subtle psychological abuse.
PSC states the impact can be physical, emotional, psychological, demotivating, leading to loss of self-esteem or reputation.
Bullying may be obvious, direct or indirect and can be in person, in writing or through the use of technology such as social media, emails or text messages.
Victimisation
The PSC states victimisation is subjecting or threatening to subject someone to a disadvantage because they have asserted their rights under equal opportunity law, made a complaint, helped someone else make a complaint, or refused to do something because it would be discrimination.
It is also victimisation to threaten someone who is involved in investigating an equal opportunity concern or complaint, such as a witness or as support person.
PSC states victimisation is a very serious breach of this policy (depending on the severity and circumstances) will result in formal discipline against the offender.
The PSC states everyone has the right to work in an environment free from bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence.
While it is recognised that all civil servants share responsibility for creating a harassment, discrimination and bullying -free workplace, it is important to emphasise that permanent secretaries, due to their authority, carry a greater responsibility and accountability for maintaining a safe and healthy work environment, states the PSC.
Permanent secretaries have an obligation to be proactive in addressing hostile behaviour that may be embedded in the workplace culture, states the PSC policy.