Bullying and harassment are not only issues in the office environment – in fact they can be worse in a workforce that operates remotely. Gemma McCall shares her advice on tackling this growing people and culture risk
Despite what many may think, problematic behaviour including bullying and harassment continue to be rife across the insurance sector.
Towards the end of 2019, the UK’s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) had to step in due to the severity of problematic workplace culture across the sector. Writing a letter to chief executives of general insurance companies, the PRA warned poor behaviour could result in senior managers being banned from the industry. The letter followed a Lloyd’s of London survey, which found almost 500 workers had suffered or witnessed sexual harassment in the previous year.
There are no doubts things are moving in the right direction after Lloyd’s put measures in place to stamp out such behaviour. This included the launch of its culture dashboard to benchmark the organisation’s starting point while also rolling out a gender balance plan with a focus on creating greater gender equality at all levels across the corporation.
However, these alone are not enough. The very process of reporting problematic behaviour can be incredibly daunting for survivors of bullying, harassment or discrimination. In fact, research we commissioned last year uncovered more than one-in-10 of those working in the insurance sector would only report an incident if they could do so anonymously.
Bullying and harassment in the current climate
Research conducted at the end of last year by charity Rights of Women has revealed nearly a quarter of women in the UK who have faced work-based sexual harassment said it has increased online during the pandemic.
Furthermore, 42% admit to having recently experienced harassment from co-workers online and more than 70% said their employers are not doing enough to protect them.
Problematic behaviour at work continues to be an issue across the board
However, while the data suggests the situation has been worse for women, problematic behaviour at work continues to be an issue across the board.
Further research we commissioned during the initial height of the pandemic revealed more than one-quarter (27%) of employees across Britain’s insurance industry have experienced unacceptable behaviour in their workplace. This was despite almost all (93%) saying that knowing their employer takes bullying and harassment complaints seriously is an important factor to their overall happiness at work.
Tackling problematic behaviour in a digital environment
The anonymity that can come from sitting behind a screen can often lead to increased levels of bullying. Whether from people who feel separated from the consequences of their words, or simply because people are unintentionally causing harm as they can’t see or properly understand the person they’re communicating with.
Either way, if left unchecked in a workplace, this can lead to significant cultural issues that will fester if not properly addressed.
Many of the issues of bullying or harassment ... are now shifting to digital spaces
One of the most fundamental ways companies can start paying attention to culture is by ensuring everyone in the organisation feels heard and know if they do experience problematic behaviour at work, they can do something about it.
The recent shift to remote working creates a challenge here, as many of the issues of bullying or harassment that result in some either staying away from the industry or leaving it, are now shifting to digital spaces. In this space, issues can be more difficult to manage.
On bullying and harassment in the workplace, our survey revealed 20% of insurance employees have witnessed unacceptable behaviour in their workplace, with one in 10 admitting they have experienced serious bullying and harassment at work.
And while 19% of insurance employees who were surveyed would report an incident to their line manager, they admit they would feel worried about the repercussions. Further to this, 26% say their employer could improve its culture and be more inclusive by providing a place to give anonymous feedback.
Some companies will already have reporting platforms in place to enable employees to safely and anonymously report instances of problematic behaviour.
Without clear and safe reporting pathways, it's very difficult to encourage people to speak up
Systems like this can help track microaggressions (lower-level behaviour that is sometimes unintentional) and create a detailed picture of the company’s culture, which they can then use to make improvements.
Without clear and safe reporting pathways, it’s very difficult to encourage people to speak up and so those problem areas will continue to remain hidden. Further to this, organisations should not only signpost to these platforms, but actively encourage employees to use them, with those that do speak out against bullying encouraged and supported for doing so, rather than perpetuating any stigma.
It’s vital that employees are offered an online solution, preferably with an anonymous option, as there is still a long way to go to build up trust between employees and HR departments before everyone feels comfortable enough to speak out about what they’re experiencing face-to-face.
Planning for the future and reducing people risk
As firms start to plan for a future that will likely involve more remote working, it’s essential that those in positions of power really set clear objectives on what the future will look like.
The understanding of good practice needs to be represented at every level. From the regulations of governing bodies, to the attitudes of business leaders, and the understanding of rights and reporting processes by employees.
There's never been more advice, experience, systems and support out there
While this may seem like a big step, there’s never been more advice, experience, systems and support out there designed purely around changing the status quo and reshaping firms into safe, supportive and more inclusive spaces that work for everyone.
It's important to remember that employees are an organisation’s greatest asset and, if not protected, the risk of not only creating significant cultural issues arise but the organisation becomes at risk of losing great talent.
Gemma McCall is CEO and co-founder of Culture Shift, an impact software business that builds products to empower organisations to tackle harassment and bullying.