Harassment is Not Part of the Job

New research by the TUC shows that young workers are most at risk of third-party harassment and bullying at work — over half of all workers have experienced some form of harassment from the public while going about their jobs.

No one should have to put up with harassment, abuse or violence, especially at work. Accord has campaigned on this issue for many years and you may have one of our posters up in your workplace (if not why not download, print and display it).

The TUC report reveals that workers of any age can be a targeted in the course of going about their jobs including: bullying, sexual harassment, verbal abuse and physical assault. However the results show that young workers are disproportionately affected because of the sectors they tend to work in (e.g. sales and customer service).

What is Third-Party Harassment?
When we talk about third-party harassment, we’re referring to harassment, abuse or violence that is committed by someone not directly employed by the same employer. These include: customers, clients, members of the public, suppliers or other business contacts.

According to the TUC’s research, over one third (36 %) of 18 to 34-year olds who have experienced some form of harassment, abuse or violence at work said it was carried out by a third party.

Even more startling than this, over three-quarters (76 %) reported that nothing changed even after they reported the incidents to their employer.

Whether it be a one-off incident, or a repeat offender, it’s never acceptable for workers to find themselves on the receiving end of this sort of treatment. These incidents require firm intervention from employers and a strengthening of the law to protect all workers from third-party harassment, but also to ensure that young workers have ‘day one’ employment rights.

How should employers respond to third-party harassment?
Employers have a legal duty to protect workers from all forms of harassment at work (whether that’s by another colleague or by a third-party). It’s, therefore, vital that employers have harassment prevention policies in place, and a robust process for dealing with offenders.

It’s also important that risk assessments are carried out to prevent the likelihood of an incident. In certain roles and situations, this is critical to the safety of employees (like lone and night-shift workers or those in jobs responsible for opening/closing branches).

Prevention includes having a visible, zero-tolerance approach. Most employers Accord works with (such as LBG and TSB) provide signage for colleagues and if any member feels the current levels of signage in their workplace is insufficient, it’s possible to order more.

When it comes to reporting incidents, workers should be provided with guidance on what to do. In both LBG and TSB, colleagues and their line managers are directed to their incident report lines, and managers should be aware of the process to follow as set out in the relevant harassment policy.

This leads nicely onto a final point. Employers should provide training to all their line managers and supervisors to ensure that proper support is available to colleagues should an incident occur. The TUC research suggests that incidents aren’t dealt with appropriately. That’s why it’s important to have a proper training programme in place, and employers should also ensure there’s some accountability for following the policies and procedures to mitigate recurrences.

The Union has a job too…
The presence of a union in a workplace doesn’t just mean that workers get better terms and conditions — it means that we can negotiate better policies and support for members.

As I mentioned earlier, Accord has campaigned on this issue for many years and you can download our poster if you haven’t seen on displayed in your workplace.

Through constant dialogue with employers, we’ve helped shape a more robust process for colleagues working in branches, and this should be followed whenever an incident occurs. Feedback we’ve had throughout 2018 confirms that the changes to processes are doing the job, but reports of abuse continue to come in.

Accord will continue to campaign for fair treatment of all colleagues, so that they can go about their business without the threat of harassment or abuse. We’d encourage any member to get in touch with us with feedback on this issue, particularly younger members who have been on the receiving end of abuse.

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues that we’ve discussed here and you want to talk to us confidentially, or if you want to give us any feedback on what’s been happening in your workplace: contact us at equality@accordhq.org