Diversity and Human Rights Management e-Bulletin: Harassment Prevention: Understanding the Relationship Between Attitudes and Behaviour

Most employees understand that human rights policy and law in the workplace require us to avoid discriminatory and harassing behaviours toward our fellow employees and members of the public. But what about our attitudes - how we think and feel about people whose identity (e.g. race; religion; sexual orientation, etc.) is other than our own?

Human rights law does not directly address attitudes. Our policies and law do address negatively prejudiced attitudes when we express such attitudes through our behaviour. It is when we express prejudicial attitudes - for example, by telling a hostile joke about another group - that we violate human rights requirements to maintain a harassment-free and discrimination-free workplace environment.

Since "the mother and father of our behaviour are our attitudes", we require effective training to help employees examine those attitudes which may lead to harassing or discriminatory behaviour. Such examination reduces the risk that inappropriate or hostile attitudes will be expressed. Training that helps to reduce prejudice is a smart way to prevent human rights violation in our workplace. Effective training can also help employees to respond effectively themselves to stereotyped remarks.

Certain workplaces may be "stereotype-producers" or "stereotype-reinforcers". Here, we include organizations and companies whose employees encounter members of the public who may be angry or behaving in anti-social, even criminal, ways. Any employee working in an enforcement or complaint-related position is at risk for stereotyping "other communities" if almost all of the contact they have with individuals from "other communities" occurs in stressful situations.

How might we help police and others working in such "at-risk-for-stereotyping" circumstances? One way is to diversify the workforce, so that employees get to know and work with a wider variety of people from various groups. Another is to encourage employees to perform volunteer service with communities whose identity is different from their own. Such service expands employees' understanding of an entire community, thereby lessening stereotypical thinking and response.

For free and confidential telephone consultation or to receive free Special Reports, call (416) 534-5891.

Website: www.connectingwithdiversity.com.