In the age of the digital workplace, more and more employers have taken to creating spaces where their employees can work almost entirely from home or other remote locations. This provides solutions to some long-time problems, but at the same time, it exacerbates or even creates others.
Harassment unfortunately falls into the latter category. Despite best efforts, harassment continues into the digital age.
Targeted harassment campaigns
The New York Times discusses harassment in the modern age. Many workplaces these days have at least a partial remote or digital work option, especially in densely populated areas or areas with costly rental spaces.
This means that more communication happens via the internet rather than person-to-person than ever before. While this helps to reduce some forms of harassment such as sexual assault, other forms continue to thrive.
This includes exclusion and targeted harassment based on protected status, such as someone’s sexuality, nationality or religion. The use of private chat channels and messaging features contributes to this culture, allowing employees to create avenues of communication that the victim of harassment cannot access and using it to further defame their character.
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment also still occurs, with many harassers sending explicit photographs or videos over digital channels of communication. Some may expose themselves on video chat while others send explicit and lewd messages through text.
Fortunately, due to the digital mode of communication, victims of harassment have a greater capability to draw on evidence. It is important to start collecting evidence as early as possible, which the victim can then submit to legal aid and use in a compensation-seeking case.
