Do your managers prevent abusive behavior in the workplace?

Harassment is an umbrella term for bullying, sexual harassment (sexual harassment) and other ways in which harassment can occur at work.

Harassment in the workplace occurs when one or more persons grossly or repeatedly subject other persons to conduct that is perceived by those persons as degrading. 

Harassing conduct can be both active actions and inaction. Work-related harassment can include, for example, withholding necessary information, slander or exclusion from social and professional communities.

When Arbejdstilsynet talks about abusive behavior in the workplace, including bullying and sexual harassment, it means actions that take place between employees, and between employees and their managers.

On March 4, 2022, the Government and the social partners signed the "Tripartite agreement on initiatives to counteract sexual harassment in the workplace". In order to avoid offensive behavior in the workplace and in particular sexual harassment, there should be an increased focus on sexual harassment and other offensive behavior in APV work. If problems of harassment have occurred in the workplace, management and employees or the health and safety organization should discuss concrete measures to address the harassment and prevent its recurrence.

As a manager, you have a role to play in preventing and dealing with abusive behavior, but it is not always an easy conversation to have.

Good advice for managers

Here are nine tips on how managers can tackle the problem and start a positive change in the workplace:

• Be a good role model.
• Signal that abusive behavior is unacceptable. 
• Deal with abusive behavior in the workplace.
• Provide a discussion on good behavior and tone. Remind employees that there should be a sober tone in the workplace and that there should be room for differences.
• Create space to speak up.
• Take enquiries seriously.
• Continuously discuss abusive acts at, for example, appraisal interviews and staff meetings.
• Be open in appraisal interviews and help employees feel comfortable approaching you with their experiences of harassment.
• Be aware of signs of unhappiness in employees, e.g. feelings of powerlessness, low self-esteem, tension, anxiety, anger, information about sleep problems, agitation, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, feelings of guilt and shame and shock.