Sexual harassment in workplaces

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KUCHING: Big corporations have much to lose if they continue to avoid introducing a code of practice to prevent sexual harassment in their workplaces.

Besides affecting their image negatively, these organisations could lose out in terms of money as well as productivity time.

Sarawak Women for Women Society (SWWS) chairman Margaret Bedus said the implications of sexual harassment in a workplace were plenty and not only centred around the victim.

“As soon as word gets out, the particular corporation’s image is at stake. Then let’s say the victim ends up getting sacked and decides to find redress by taking the matter to court, the organisation would need to defend itself and this will cost money and time,” she told reporters at a SWWS talk on sexual harassment at the workplace here yesterday.

Huge implications: Sarawak Women for Women Society representative Angie Garet speaking on sexual harassment in workplaces.

She said many still took sexual harassment in the workplace lightly and in some cases, things get swept under the rug. However, she said it could also turn disastrous for the organisation if it was not dealt with well.

This was why, she said SWWS kept holding talks on the subject while highlighting the need for all organisations, particularly those with many employees to follow the code of practice set by the Human Resource Ministry.

Margaret said currently, it was up to the organisations whether they wanted to adopt the code.

“It is something every organisation should look into. If they don’t, then their employees would not know how to go about things or who to approach if they were harassed,” she said.

The talk targeted non-governmental organisations, and also saw the participation of human resource representatives from hotels and corporations.

One participant, who wished to remain anonymous, said the international corporation he represented had a code of practice that was based on the one set by the Human Resource Ministry.

“We have our own code for more than five years now and our programme has been audited by Sirim. We don’t take this matter lightly in our organisation,” he said.

He said with this code of practice, the corporation had acted on three cases of sexual harassment since 2004 and all three harassers were dismissed from work.

“They appealed their cases with the Labour Department but we won. We do not tolerate such acts,” he added.

He said the corporation would continue to spread the awareness among its employees and hope to get SWWS to give a talk during the corporation’s safety and health day.