Technology can facilitate sexual harassment

A recent investigation by the Financial Times into workplace sexual harassment has highlighted some ways professional social networks can be misused, writes Anthony Sakrouge, the head of employment at law firm Russell-Cooke in an HR Magazine report. He writes: ‘Facebook’s Workplace, the instant messaging service Slack, and Google Plus to name but a few all define themselves as being collaborative or shared workplaces and encourage openness, which unfortunately has the potential to be exploited. Between them they include features like profiles, news feeds, events, groups, messaging (including voice and video calling) and live videos. These platforms sometimes do not allow an employee to block a colleague, or at least make it difficult to do so.’ Sakrouge writes that platforms that allow people to share screens remotely, video-conferencing facilities, or any platform that allows employees to bully others (including anonymously) can all be misused. He says that making employees aware of these risks should significantly reduce the danger to the employer adding that it is all the more important for organisations to be leading on such issues in the current post-Weinstein climate. He says victims of harassment are now much less likely to suffer in silence.