Why Companies Should Publicize Their Sexual Harassment Policies

According to a John Oliver interview below with Anita Hill, companies should publicize their sexual harassment policies. Here’s why…

Anita Hill is an American attorney and professor who gained infamy in 1991, after she was called to testify about workplace sexual harassment she faced from Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas during their time when he was her supervisor at the Department of Education and the EEOC.

Hill mentioned this practice in response to Oliver’s question about how we can tackle work-place harassment.

In the interview, Hill states: “To change the culture and to actually convince people we’re serious about it, is to publicize the policies and to inform people here’s what happens when you file a complaint, here are the things you will do, here are the questions you will face, here is the process.”

Many companies do not have clear policies and guidelines that state precisely what steps they’ll take when a workplace harassment complaint arises. Without such guidelines, victims of harassment may feel intimidated by the process. This is especially true when dealing with company’s Human Resources departments because their primary job is to protect the company and not the employee. If a victim understands the process and what is needed of them, they can feel more confident in their decision to file a complaint.

Hill went on to respond to critics who claim that the #MeToo movement has caused men to be fearful of being alone in a room with a woman, by saying that if they’ve done something wrong, then yes, they should be afraid, and that the number of women who make false complaints is minimal.

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