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A BRANDED WORLD

advice on how to build meaningful brands

August 02, 2018

41 | Part 1: What you need to know to prevent, react and recover from workplace harassment – A live panel discussion at Orchestras Canada Annual Conference

Why you’ve got to listen to this episode:

Workplace harassment is one of those topics we don’t like to think or talk about and as such we tend not to be well prepared for it and not have in place preventive measures to help avoid it.

In this episode I’m sharing a live panel session I moderated during the Orchestras Canada Annual Conference where we tackle this topic from how to prevent it, how to react if we do go through it and how to recover from it.

The panel comprised of Scott Crockatt, marketing and communications expert with United Way Calgary and Area, Jeanne LaSage, principal at LeSage Arts Management and human resources expert and lawyers Dana Kiefer and John Gilmore both with Bennett Jones.

We discuss the issue of workplace harassment with a focus on Orchestras and arts organizations within Canada, however, the insights and guidance shared by the panellists can be applied to any organization in any industry.

This episode focuses on part 1 of our discussion, how to prevent workplace harassment. Preventing your staff or collaborators to experience any type of workplace harassment is the ideal scenario. Preventing harassment not only safeguards your staff but also protects the organization against the reputational risk that comes with such issues.

Who can benefit from listening in:

Any organization regardless of size and industry should be prepared and do its due diligence to prevent workplace harassment, protecting staff and brand reputation. Know how to react in the unfortunate, but not unlikely, case it does occur. And needs to know how to recover, how to heal and how to gain back the trust and confidence of their audience.

Workplace harassment is the type of issue we all think or hope won’t happen within our organization but as the cases of harassment grow around the globe, being prepared for such an occasion should become a priority starting with prevention.

Key takeaways from this episode:

  • Workplace harassment covers a much wider range of situations than most people think. It can be sexual, but it can also be bullying or any other kind of undesired behaviour causing physical or emotional distress.
  • Harassment typically occurs within a workplace culture where it is felt or understood to be accepted.
  • Organizations can suffer tremendous reputational damage solely by the implication that they have a hostile work environment even if no specific charges have ever been laid. Scott Crockatt
  • An employer has the obligation to actively discourage and prohibit discrimination, harassment and humiliating behaviour. Dana Kiefer
  • Having the right culture in place, where staff lives by the brand values is not only a good practice to build a strong brand but it’s also a protection against workplace harassment. Luiza Campos
  • Culture has to start from the top. From board and leadership setting the example. Jeanne LeSage

Links to resources mentioned in this episode

 

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