The Problem of Harassment

Today, harassment is a big issue for small business. Sadly, optical is no exception.

And the Covid climate has only made it worse.

In fact, according to a recent Project Include survey, 25% of respondents reported an increase in gender-based harassment during the pandemic, 10% said the same of hostility related to their race or ethnicity, and 23% of those 50 years and older reported a jump in age-related abuse.

Additionally, some of those employees working remotely from home also experienced a whole new type of harassment, virtually. As ComplyRight describes it, “Employees working from home tend to be more relaxed, and therefore, more likely to share inappropriate comments, jokes, or emails.”

WHAT + WHO.

What constitutes harassment?

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), harassment is any “unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, or pregnancy), national origin, older age (beginning at age 40), disability, or genetic information (including family medical history).”

According to Inc., more than half (54%) of women surveyed say they’ve experienced workplace harassment. As for reporting it, however, an EEOC task force found that 90% of employees never formally file a complaint and three-quarters don’t even mention it to their employer.

PUTTING IT INTO (OPTOMETRIC) PRACTICE.

Insureon reports that, though 74% of small businesses surveyed have policies in place, nearly half (47%) don’t actually provide sexual harassment training.

What about optical? We reached out to ECPs to learn more about how individual practices are tackling the topic.

David Holler, O.D., who owns Clarity Vision, with six locations headquartered in Apex, NC, shares, “We have HIPAA and nonharassment videos for all new employees and managers to view and take a test. Ideally every employee would take these and test on them every year.”

In Chicago, Diana Canto-Sims, O.D., agrees. “When it comes to training at Buena Vista Optical, I did a PowerPoint presentation on sexual harassment that we recorded, so we can send a new employee the link.”

WHAT YOU CAN DO.

➤ Define Office Policy. An American Optometric Association Ethics Forum case study concluded that doctors of optometry are liable for a harassment-free workplace. According to Morris Berman, O.D., M.S., who was a member of the AOA Ethics and Values Committee and is former dean of the School of Optometry at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston, “It is essential to have effective communications...and an office policy handbook that explains standards of professional conduct and workplace expectations, and corrective actions. The draft should be reviewed by legal counsel or a consultant with expertise in human resources.”

➤ Automatically Train New Hires. Nationwide, a few states (six to date) already require businesses with more than 50 employees to conduct anti-harassment training. While sexual harassment is the most common topic, other forms of harassment are increasingly being addressed. The recommendation from the EEOC? Automatically train new hires and then follow up annually.

➤ Keep Training Records. It’s also important to keep records of training. According to the Small Business Development Centers, “Have employees sign and date a form stating they have received the necessary information and completed the training. Keep copies of the acknowledgment forms in employee personnel files.”

➤ Tap Training Resources. For help, check with your own membership organizations as well as outside resources like ComplyRight, whose “Essential Strategies to Prevent Workplace Harassment” gets high marks.