How to Recognize and Respond to Third-Party Harassment in the Workplace
While many occurrences of workplace harassment take place among colleagues or supervisors, it can also arise with an outside vendor or client. It’s called third-party harassment, and this article addresses a few specific instances of it — as well as how to appropriately respond and resolve the situation. Let’s learn together how to create a safe workplace for employees by recognizing the signs of third-party harassment.
What is Third-Party Harassment?
Harassment is any unwanted or unwelcome conduct based on a series of protected characteristics, including sex or gender. Third-party harassment is defined as harassment committed by people who do not work with you in your company. People like clients, vendors, independent contractors, or customers can also use harassing conduct with an employee.
Although these actions may not be committed by a member of their organization, employers are still responsible for protecting their employees from this type of sexual harassment. When an employee experiences harassment in the workplace, they can become deeply upset, affecting their morale and productivity. It is important to encourage reporting of harassment and respond to these reports in a timely and appropriate manner.
Types of Third-Party Harassment
There are a few different types of harassment, and they can manifest differently in third-party harassment. Verbal harassment is a spoken type of harassment that makes employees feel uncomfortable, humiliated, or intimidated. Sometimes it can be difficult to identify because it can elicit different reactions. A few examples of verbal harassment can include making inappropriate jokes, teasing, repeatedly making unwelcome sexual advances or asking someone on a date, or even making inappropriate sounds, like a wolf whistle.
Visual harassment includes the exposing of private parts, sharing someone else’s private photos without their consent, or sending unsolicited pornographic images or videos to a coworker. Staring at someone else’s body to the point where it makes them uncomfortable is also a form of visual harassment. Finally, physical harassment is when someone inappropriately touches you against your will, and may also be known as workplace violence. Physical workplace harassment can range from intimidating gestures and blocking a coworker’s movements, to unwelcome touching of hair/body and deliberately brushing up against someone. It can also include intentionally grabbing someone’s private parts, sexual assault, or rape.
A Real-Life Case of Third-Party Harassment
Recently, a case of third-party harassment went viral on TikTok, when a woman caught vendors having “locker room chats” about her during a virtual meeting. In a BoredPanda article detailing the incident, Whitney Sharpe’s series of videos revealed that a male vendor shared his screen during their meeting, only for Sharpe to see inappropriate messages written about her by multiple men from the company. When she confronted the vendor, she requested a female representative to replace the male who had made her uncomfortable, but in a letter from the vendor’s VP of Sales, they claimed they didn’t have anyone qualified to handle her sale.
Sharpe also felt that the “apology” letter presented more of an attitude of feeling sorry to have been caught, rather than truly addressing and apologizing for the situation. Even in a follow-up call, the VP of Sales’ lack of genuineness persisted, and ultimately Sharpe chose not to move forward in a partnership with the vendor. “I cannot work with a vendor and my company will not support a vendor that does not support women in business,” said Sharpe in her latest video. If this vendor relationship had been one that needed to continue, it would be recommended that her employer investigate her claim, as they are legally required to provide a workplace free from sexual harassment, including from outside parties.
How to Respond to Third-Party Harassment
If an employee is the victim of sexual harassment, they should report their complaint as soon as they are able. Most companies should have a code of conduct that details the process for reporting their situation, which typically goes through HR. Once an employee has filed a harassment claim, their employer is required to conduct an investigation, including a review of all documents, screenshots, or other evidence. Once the investigation is complete, they should write a report and communicate the findings to all parties involved.
In Sharpe’s case, her employer could partner in an investigation with the employees' supervisor accused of “locker room talk.” If their investigation confirmed the harassment claim, the alleged harassers’ employer would need to take immediate and appropriate corrective action. Sharpe could also report her complaint to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), but it is recommended – and in some cases required by law – to file a report with her employer first.
Preventing Harassment with Workplace Training
Both Sharpe’s employer and the supervisor of the accused employees could also take steps in the future to reassure her that her work environment is safe, such as establishing a zero-tolerance policy for harassment or implementing an anonymous reporting system. Harassment prevention training, such as the courses from EasyLlama, can serve as the first line of defense against workplace harassment by teaching employees how to identify and prevent harassment before it happens. This is extremely valuable for employers because of the major toll that harassment can take on the health of both employees and the company at large.
EasyLlama’s award-winning compliance training meets and exceeds all the latest EEOC and state-mandated training requirements. Our courses also engage learners with interactive knowledge checks and real-life scenarios that people can relate to. Ready to learn more about EasyLlama’s Harassment Prevention Training? Access your free preview today to see our interactive course and helpful features for yourself!
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