The untold story of witnesses of workplace harassment | Julia Shaw | TEDxLondonWomen

Summary

Dr. Julia Shaw, a research associate at UCL and co-founder of 'spot', discusses the subtle yet impactful role of 'accidental activists' in combating workplace harassment and discrimination. She emphasizes the importance of witnessing and acting on inappropriate behavior, citing a study revealing that 93% of victims had at least one witness. Shaw offers practical steps organizations can take to support witnesses and victims, including leadership commitment, manager training, anonymous reporting, and fostering a shared social identity to create a healthier and more inclusive workplace.

Takeaways

• 😶 Workplace harassment and discrimination often occur in subtle ways, not just through marches or public campaigns, and can be addressed by individuals in everyday situations.
• 👥 Being an 'accidental activist' means taking action in response to witnessing inappropriate behavior at work, such as a colleague making offensive comments or unwanted advances.
• 🔍 Dr. Julia Shaw, a research associate at UCL and co-founder of 'spot', emphasizes the importance of better reporting options and training to tackle workplace issues.
• 📊 A large-scale study conducted by Dr. Shaw and others found that 93% of harassment victims reported at least one witness, indicating that most incidents are not isolated.
• 🤔 The 'bystander effect' is a psychological barrier that prevents people from intervening in witnessed harassment, often due to fear of consequences or not wanting to interfere.
• 🚫 Fear of retaliation is the primary reason why both victims and witnesses hesitate to report incidents, highlighting the need for anonymous reporting options.
• 🛡️ Organizations need to showcase their commitment to diversity and inclusion, with leadership setting the tone for a culture that does not tolerate harassment or discrimination.
• 👩‍🏫 Training for managers is crucial, as they are often the ones who may engage in inappropriate behavior due to a lack of people skills or management training.
• 📝 Providing options for anonymous reporting and the ability to choose who to report to can help overcome the fear of consequences and encourage more people to come forward.
• 🔄 Actively seeking feedback through surveys and asking about specific incidents can help organizations identify and address issues that might otherwise go unreported.
• 🌐 Building a shared social identity within an organization can mitigate the bystander effect, fostering a sense of collective responsibility and support for one another.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Dr. Julia Shaw's activism?

Dr. Julia Shaw's activism focuses on tackling workplace harassment and discrimination, particularly through the use of the tool 'spot' which helps organizations with better reporting options and training.

What was the purpose of the study conducted by Dr. Shaw and her colleagues in 2019?

The study aimed to understand the experiences of witnesses of harassment and discrimination at work, which was one of the largest studies ever conducted on this topic.

Why did Dr. Shaw feel reporting paralysis when she was victimized?

Dr. Shaw experienced reporting paralysis due to her fear of the consequences for her career and concerns that she would not be believed or taken seriously.

What cultural shift has been observed in recent years regarding the reporting of harassment and discrimination?

There has been a cultural awakening where stories of sexual abuse, harassment, and discrimination in the workplace are being heard and understood better, leading to fewer instances of reporting paralysis.

What percentage of victims reported that there was at least one witness to their harassment or discrimination?

93% of victims reported that there was at least one witness to their experiences of harassment or discrimination.

What is the 'bystander effect' and why does it occur?

The bystander effect is a social psychological phenomenon where individuals do not intervene in an emergency situation when other people are present. It occurs due to a diffusion of responsibility and the assumption that others will take action.

What are the main barriers that prevent witnesses from reporting incidents of harassment or discrimination?

The main barriers include fear of consequences or retaliation, not wanting to interfere or be seen as a 'snitch', and a lack of knowledge about how or whether they can report.

How do witnessing harassment or discrimination impact the witnesses themselves?

Witnessing harassment or discrimination can lead to increased stress, anxiety, depression, and a desire to leave the organization, affecting their well-being and job satisfaction.

What is the significance of the social contagion effect mentioned in the script?

The social contagion effect refers to the spread of negative consequences and discontent among people when they share stories of harassment or discrimination, which can threaten an organization's ability to retain and attract diverse talent.

What are some actionable steps organizations can take to support witnesses and victims of harassment or discrimination?

Organizations can showcase commitment to diversity and inclusion, train managers to handle such issues, allow anonymous reporting, provide choices about who to report to, encourage witness reporting, conduct surveys to identify specific incidents, and build a shared social identity among employees.

Outlines

00:00

😐 Workplace Activism Beyond the Spotlight

Dr. Julia Shaw introduces the concept of subtle activism in the workplace, emphasizing that change often occurs in small, everyday moments rather than through grand gestures. She discusses the role of witnesses in incidents of harassment and discrimination, and how they can become 'accidental activists'. Shaw is a research associate at UCL and co-founder of 'spot', a tool designed to improve reporting and training in organizations. She recounts her personal experience of workplace harassment and the common 'reporting paralysis' that prevents individuals from speaking up due to fear of career repercussions. The cultural awakening to sexual abuse and harassment stories has led to a better understanding of victims' experiences, yet the perspective of witnesses remains largely untold. The prevalence of witnessed harassment is highlighted, with a statistic that 93% of victims reported at least one witness, indicating that such behavior is rarely hidden.

05:01

🤔 The Bystander Effect and Its Psychological Barriers

This paragraph delves into the psychology of being a witness to harassment or discrimination. Despite most people believing they would intervene in hypothetical scenarios, the reality often differs due to the 'bystander effect'. The main barrier to reporting, as cited by 75% of participants in Shaw's research, is the fear of consequences or retaliation. Other reasons include not wanting to interfere or a lack of knowledge about reporting procedures. The paragraph also addresses the lack of support for witnesses, who, like victims, can experience negative repercussions such as increased stress, anxiety, and depression. The social contagion effect is discussed, where the negative consequences of harassment spread as witnesses share their experiences, potentially impacting an organization's ability to retain and attract talent. Shaw suggests that organizations can take steps to reduce barriers and provide support for both witnesses and victims, emphasizing the importance of allyship in creating healthier workplaces.

10:02

🛡 Strategies for Fostering a Supportive Workplace Culture

The final paragraph outlines five strategies organizations can implement to tackle harassment and discrimination. These include showcasing leadership commitment to diversity and inclusion, training managers to handle harassment and discrimination, providing anonymous reporting options, encouraging witness reporting, conducting surveys to identify specific incidents, and building a shared social identity among employees. Shaw stresses the importance of proactive measures rather than reactive ones, highlighting the need for a cohesive unit where employees feel supported and empowered to stand up against negative behaviors. She concludes with a call to action for individuals to become 'accidental activists' by speaking up when they witness inappropriate behavior, thereby fostering a stronger, healthier, and more diverse and inclusive workplace.

Keywords

💡Activism

Activism refers to the policy of taking direct vigorous action to achieve a political or social goal. In the context of the video, activism is not limited to traditional forms like marches and opinion pieces but also includes subtle actions taken in the workplace to combat harassment and discrimination. The video emphasizes that small moments of intervention can make a significant difference, turning individuals into 'accidental activists'.

💡Workplace harassment

Workplace harassment is a pattern of unwelcome and offensive behavior that affects a person's job performance or creates a hostile or offensive work environment. The video discusses how this issue is often witnessed by others in the workplace, and the importance of bystanders taking action to report and prevent such behavior.

💡Discrimination

Discrimination in the workplace involves treating people unfairly because of their race, age, gender, religion, or other characteristics. The video script highlights the need to tackle discrimination through better reporting and training within organizations.

💡Reporting paralysis

Reporting paralysis is a state where individuals are unable to report incidents of harassment or discrimination due to fear of retaliation or other negative consequences. The video mentions this term to describe the hesitation Dr. Julia Shaw felt when she was a victim of inappropriate workplace behavior, and how such fear can prevent people from speaking up.

💡Bystanders

Bystanders are individuals who witness an event, particularly one that is negative or harmful, but do not intervene. The video discusses the psychology of being a bystander and how most people, despite wanting to help, often do nothing due to the bystander effect. It also emphasizes the importance of mobilizing these bystanders to become active allies.

💡Active bystanders

Active bystanders are individuals who choose to intervene when they witness inappropriate behavior. The video references the Starbucks incident where two women recorded and reported an act of discrimination, leading to company-wide training on bias. This term is used to contrast with 'passive bystanders' and to encourage individuals to take action.

💡Bystander effect

The bystander effect is a psychological phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help in an emergency situation when other people are present. The video explains that this effect is a significant barrier to witnesses reporting incidents of harassment or discrimination, as they may feel that others will take action or that their intervention is unnecessary.

💡Anonymous reporting

Anonymous reporting allows individuals to report incidents without revealing their identity. The video suggests that providing the option for anonymous reporting can encourage more people to come forward with their experiences of harassment or discrimination, as it reduces the fear of retaliation.

💡Social contagion

Social contagion refers to the spread of behaviors, emotions, or ideas from one individual to another within a social group. In the video, it is mentioned that the negative consequences of harassment or discrimination are not confined to the immediate situation but spread as witnesses share their experiences, potentially affecting the organization's ability to retain and attract talent.

💡Organizational culture

Organizational culture encompasses the values, beliefs, and practices that govern how people within an organization interact and work together. The video argues that fostering a culture of active allyship and support is crucial for creating a healthier, more inclusive workplace where harassment and discrimination are not tolerated.

💡Active allies

Active allies are individuals who support and stand up for others, particularly in the context of preventing harassment and discrimination. The video concludes by encouraging everyone to become active allies, emphasizing the importance of speaking up and offering support when witnessing inappropriate behavior in the workplace.

Highlights

Not all activism involves marches and opinion pieces; subtle actions in the workplace can also make a difference.

Small moments at work, such as witnessing inappropriate comments or unwanted advances, can be opportunities for individuals to become 'accidental activists'.

Dr. Julia Shaw is a research associate at University College London and co-founder of 'spot', a tool to tackle harassment and discrimination in organizations.

In 2019, Shaw and colleagues conducted one of the largest studies on workplace harassment and discrimination witnesses, revealing the extent of the issue.

93% of victims reported that there was at least one witness to their harassment or discrimination, indicating that these incidents often occur in the open.

The concept of 'reporting paralysis' is discussed, where individuals are hesitant to report incidents due to fear of career consequences.

Cultural awakening has led to increased awareness and understanding of victim experiences in sexual abuse and harassment cases.

The story of the witness in harassment and discrimination cases has remained largely untold, despite their importance.

Witnesses face similar barriers as victims, such as fear of consequences or retaliation, when deciding whether to report incidents.

The bystander effect is prevalent, with many people choosing not to intervene in witnessed harassment or discrimination.

Witnesses to harassment and discrimination often go unsupported, experiencing stress, anxiety, and depression as a result.

Social contagion occurs as witnesses share their experiences, leading to increased discontent and potential organizational issues.

Organizations can take steps to support witnesses and victims, such as showcasing commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Training managers is crucial as they are often the ones who may engage in harassment or discrimination.

Allowing anonymous reporting can help reduce the fear of consequences for both victims and witnesses.

Encouraging witness reporting and providing choices about who to report to can improve organizational response to incidents.

Conducting surveys to proactively ask employees about their experiences can help identify and address issues within the organization.

Building a shared social identity within an organization can help mitigate the bystander effect and foster a supportive environment.

Positive changes in legislation, attitudes, and organizational practices are leading to a decline in harassment and discrimination.

Active allies play a critical role in creating healthier and more inclusive workplaces, and individuals can become accidental activists by speaking up.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Applause]

not all activism involves marches and

opinion pieces and not all change to

tackle workplace harassment and

discrimination needs to be part of a

political campaign most is much more

subtle it's likely that for most of us

we will experience small moments at work

where we can make a big difference

perhaps we over here a colleague make an

inappropriate comment about a co-worker

who is an immigrant or we attend an

event which excludes people who don't

drink or perhaps we see someone make

repeated unwanted sexual advances it's

in these moments where we become

witnesses that we can choose to either

do nothing or do something it can turn

this into accidental activists I'm dr.

Julia Shaw a research associate at

University College London and the

co-founder of spot spot is a tool that

helps organizations tackle harassment

and discrimination with better reporting

options and better training and in 2019

along with dr. Camilla elphic and dr.

reidman ass and a number of

international NGOs and charities we

conducted one of the largest studies

ever on witnesses of harassment and

discrimination at work

why witnesses the first time that I was

victimized and became the target of

inappropriate workplace behavior

I hadn't even left University a couple

of academics who were far more senior

than me repeatedly and relentlessly

targeted me and every time something

happens I wished that someone would

speak up that they would tell me that

I'm not overreacting that I'm saying

that there's something that we could do

but instead I found myself with

reporting paralysis I didn't speak up

and neither did most other people why

didn't I just speak up well I was

worried about the consequences for my

career because I loved my work I was

also worried about things that many

people see as barriers like not being

believed

are taken seriously like my situation

resulting in no change

luckily over the past couple of years

we've seen that reporting paralysis is

affecting fewer people and some people

are able to now have voices to before

we're voiceless in fact you could argue

that we have had a cultural awakening

where we've heard finally for the first

time stories of sexual abuse the

workplace we've heard stories of

harassment and discrimination and we

understand the victim experience so much

better unfortunately while this is an

important step so far the story of the

witness has remained almost entirely

untold and so I would like to tell that

story first how much harassment is

actually witnessed when the Harvey

Weinstein scandal first broke one of his

colleagues Scott Rosenberg wrote a

searing critique on social media

regarding Hollywood's systemic failure

to safeguard young woman what he wrote

at the end of each paragraph was

everybody effing knew everybody

effing knew this idea that everybody

already knows about the harassment or

discrimination that's happening at our

workplace isn't just true of Weinstein

or Hollywood but turns out it's true for

most industries when we first started

spot we allowed people to submit

statements about experiencing harassment

or discrimination to talk to spot.com

and as researchers we looked at these

stories and we were shocked when we

found that 93% of victims reported that

there was at least one witness these

things that aren't happening behind

closed doors

further research has since come out

which has further repeated this idea

that most harassment and discrimination

is witnessed and so how do we mobilize

these witnesses first let's talk about

the psychology of being a witness in

2018 two women were at a Starbucks when

they watched a barista deny access to a

washroom to two african-american men

instead the barista called the police

the two active bystanders took a video

of the

and handcuffs and posted it online this

act of bystanding had an almost

immediate positive effect

Starbucks closed a number of its doors

and implemented bias training most of us

think that we would be these active

bystanders that we would be these kinds

of heroes in fact in research on this

when researchers give people

hypothetical scenarios and ask if they

would intervene most of us of course yes

of course

of course I would stand up but even when

those same researchers present an actual

physical situation where someone needs

to actually intervene most people do

nothing and they fell prey to the

well-known bystander effect why and what

are the barriers that people are facing

in our research three-quarters of people

who we had interviewed and who we had

participate in our study which was over

a thousand participants three-quarters

of them said that they never reported

the incident to HR they never reported

the incident to someone who could do

something about it and the barriers that

they cited the number one barrier was

actually the exact same as the main

barrier that victims report which is the

fear of consequences or retaliation even

witnesses are worried about what might

happen to them and their careers other

reasons that people reported was not

wanting to interfere or not wanting to

be a snitch not knowing they could

report or not knowing how all of these

things can be targeted with better

education and better systems and

workplaces but the story of the witness

isn't complete without also talking

about the consequences for the witnesses

themselves if you were to see someone

who had just witnessed a crime being

committed on the street you would almost

certainly go up to that witness and say

are you ok do you need some support you

might even offer them counselling or

therapy to process what they just saw

but witnesses at work are largely

invisible and of course so is support

for them and some of this invisibility

might even be internalized when we asked

our participants about reporting and

when we asked them about the negative

concept

Pence's for them we found that most

people said when asked directly did

witnessing this experience have a

negative repercussion most people said

no I'm fine but when we looked at the

qualitative entries when we looked at

what people actually wrote about this

experience we found that these

experience have profoundly negative

impacts they increase stress and anxiety

and depression they increase the

prevalence of desire to leave the

organization loss of faith why is there

this discrepancy it seems that we're

doing a comparative evaluation compared

to the victim not nothing really

happened to me but that's not really the

right question and support shouldn't be

invisible just because you're less

affected because we're all affected and

we should all be supporting each other

we also found evidence of a social

contagion while 23% of participants told

HR more 46 percent told colleagues

usually someone on their team and 67

percent told someone outside of work

what this shows is that the negative

consequences of the situation where

someone is harassed or discriminated

against go far beyond the room people

take that story with them and that

discontent grows as they tell more and

more people and this has the real effect

that is almost certainly threatening

your ability as an organization to

retain and attract diverse and excellent

candidates so what do we do to stop the

social contagion what do we do to reduce

these barriers and how do we provide

support for witnesses and victims how

can we be better allies and it's easier

than you might think in my research I've

come across five particular things that

I think every organization can and

should do to help tackle this issue and

to build healthier workplaces first

showcase your commitment if your

leadership isn't repeatedly saying how

important diversity and inclusion is to

them ends living by example no one is

going to believe you and the HR driven

campaign is

efficient your organization is a direct

mirror of its leadership team and they

need to be setting the tone second

trainer managers the main person who is

likely to harass someone in your

organization is a manager now why

perhaps because power corrupts or

perhaps because we promote people on to

managerial roles because they're

excellent at their jobs and we assume

that they will pick up the people skills

pick up the management skills along the

way but then they don't and this

provides a fertile ground for harassment

and discrimination with unrealistic

expectations with poor time management

with poor conflict management skills

trainer managers third we know from

research on victims that without the

ability to report anonymously the fear

of consequences is so overwhelming that

most people will never report incidents

we found the same was true for witnesses

when we asked them directly in our study

whether organizations could do something

to improve the fact that they might

report they said number one that they

could do better was allowing for witness

anonymity second was providing choices

about who to report to perhaps

shockingly although managers are the

most likely person to be perpetrating

harassment or discrimination in many

organizations they're also supposed to

be your first point of contact when

things go wrong now that's a major

sticking point so being able to choose

who you go to is crucial

third encouraging witness reporting back

to setting a tone in your organization

saying you can and should report things

and you can help stand up for each other

force even when you have all of this in

place most people will not speak to HR

we know this because it's spot we

thought anonymity would solve everything

it did not anonymity is one piece of the

puzzle conducting surveys means that you

go out to your employees you don't wait

for them to come to you and you ask

everybody about how they feel about the

health of I inclusion and diversity

efforts within the organization and be

specific ask people about specific

incidents or specific things they've

witnessed because just like in our

survey if you ask people directly if

they've experienced harassment or

discriminate

the default answer is no but if you ask

about specific experiences or specific

behaviors most people go oh yeah I saw

that the other week so making sure you

ask the right questions is crucial

finally and most importantly research

shows that one of the best ways to

mitigate the bystander effect is to

build a shared social identity it's not

about policing each other it's not about

calling each other out it's about being

a cohesive unit we are in this together

if you attack one of us you're attacking

all of us because wouldn't you want that

wouldn't you want someone to stand by

you if something negative happens we're

all hopefully collectively building an

organization that is stronger and

healthier and more diverse and inclusive

without my allies I wouldn't be here

when I was first targeted with

inappropriate behavior at work I fell

into a depression and I almost left

academia altogether without a few people

who stood by me I wouldn't be on this

stage right now and I wish I had a happy

ending for you but unfortunately these

individuals are still at it you see in

organizational structures where

colleagues work in dispersed way is

where it's difficult to know who even to

report to nevermind what the

consequences might be these kinds of

behaviors are most likely to flourish

for longer but that doesn't stop me from

trying to stop it and I can tell you one

thing that over the past couple of years

of my research I have found that there

have been so many positive changes

changes in legislation changes and

attitudes and organizations are finally

taking these issues seriously I swear

the time of the harasser z' and the

bullies and the discriminators is coming

to an end

the structure is that once allowed these

kinds of behaviors to flourish are

finally being dismantled so all the

active allies already out there thank

you you make all the difference and to

the rest of us next time we see

something negative happen at work speak

up tell the

person whose effective that you

understood that you saw that too and

that you can help them become an

accidental activist and be the active

witness that you wish others would be

for you thank you

[Applause]