North Country: How Close Is It To Today's Reality?
If corporate America has made so much progress in eliminating harassment in the workplace why are courts and juries continuing to hear cases and award significant damages to plaintiffs bringing charges of harassment? Why does the EEOC continue to process thousands of claims annually? Why are some states feeling it’s necessary to legislate harassment training?
Is it possible that in 2006 some companies still don’t get it?
If you’ve seen the movie North Country you were most likely appalled at the incidents of harassment (which were based on actual events). You may have thought “I’m glad that kind of behavior doesn’t exist any longer. Not here. Not now.” Are you sure? Are you really, really sure?
Would you be surprised to learn that there are still executives, including HR executives in your market area who don’t take action; don’t even investigate reported harassment? That the incidents depicted in the movie are not far removed from the reality that some people face yet today in their workplace? It’s true. It’s real.
If you are the owner of a company, or the President, or a Vice President, or an HR professional you need to wonder what kind of information isn’t getting to you because someone else thinks it isn’t a big deal. And, you need to wonder about your company’s exposure and the risk to the bottom-line. It also wouldn’t hurt to wonder what people on the street are saying about the working conditions at your company; the next time you need to hire employees will you attract the caliber of employee you are looking for? (If you think it’s not common knowledge – think again – you may be the only one who doesn’t know.)
While it’s true that the overall number of claims filed has decreased in recent years, one has to wonder if that is an accurate reflection of working life. Our own interaction with companies has demonstrated to us that there are still numerous incidents of harassment – both blatant and subtle, traditional sexual harassment and hostile work environment – occurring throughout our market area. We see good people running companies or departments in which people are treated poorly and in many cases we are sure these leaders are not aware of and would not condone the harassing behavior. So why does it continue? What, or who, allows the behavior to continue? What, or who, sends the message to the harasser(s) that it’s okay?
If you’re reading this and wondering if your company is vulnerable you need to take the next step. Get out of your office and see what is going on. No news is not necessarily good news. Don’t wait until a claim is filed to discover that your company has a problem – at that point it’s too late. If you have received complaints but have not fully investigated or have not placed the appropriate sense of urgency on the matter, you are part of the problem.
If you have to wonder; if there is even a flicker of doubt in your mind regarding the working environment in your company then you owe it to yourself, your employees and the company to check it out. If all is well, pat yourself and your employees on the back. If not . . .
Posted by Denise Knutson, Senior Consultant, The H.S. Group
Is it possible that in 2006 some companies still don’t get it?
If you’ve seen the movie North Country you were most likely appalled at the incidents of harassment (which were based on actual events). You may have thought “I’m glad that kind of behavior doesn’t exist any longer. Not here. Not now.” Are you sure? Are you really, really sure?
Would you be surprised to learn that there are still executives, including HR executives in your market area who don’t take action; don’t even investigate reported harassment? That the incidents depicted in the movie are not far removed from the reality that some people face yet today in their workplace? It’s true. It’s real.
If you are the owner of a company, or the President, or a Vice President, or an HR professional you need to wonder what kind of information isn’t getting to you because someone else thinks it isn’t a big deal. And, you need to wonder about your company’s exposure and the risk to the bottom-line. It also wouldn’t hurt to wonder what people on the street are saying about the working conditions at your company; the next time you need to hire employees will you attract the caliber of employee you are looking for? (If you think it’s not common knowledge – think again – you may be the only one who doesn’t know.)
While it’s true that the overall number of claims filed has decreased in recent years, one has to wonder if that is an accurate reflection of working life. Our own interaction with companies has demonstrated to us that there are still numerous incidents of harassment – both blatant and subtle, traditional sexual harassment and hostile work environment – occurring throughout our market area. We see good people running companies or departments in which people are treated poorly and in many cases we are sure these leaders are not aware of and would not condone the harassing behavior. So why does it continue? What, or who, allows the behavior to continue? What, or who, sends the message to the harasser(s) that it’s okay?
If you’re reading this and wondering if your company is vulnerable you need to take the next step. Get out of your office and see what is going on. No news is not necessarily good news. Don’t wait until a claim is filed to discover that your company has a problem – at that point it’s too late. If you have received complaints but have not fully investigated or have not placed the appropriate sense of urgency on the matter, you are part of the problem.
If you have to wonder; if there is even a flicker of doubt in your mind regarding the working environment in your company then you owe it to yourself, your employees and the company to check it out. If all is well, pat yourself and your employees on the back. If not . . .
Posted by Denise Knutson, Senior Consultant, The H.S. Group
posted by The H.S. Group at
12:15 PM
1 Comments:
When it comes to harassment, we as HR representatives often speak in very generic, general terms. Or we decipher how situations we see enacted in movies such as North Country relate to the workplace today. We really do believe that harassment on that level no longer exists and it sometimes takes a rude awakening before anything is done.
Upon speaking with workers in Southeastern Wisconsin, I learned of an incident that mirrored one of the occurrences of harassment depicted in the movie...and here it was, happening in 2005!
What an eye-opener, to see how little has changed throughout the years.
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Anonymous, at 8:19 AM
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