Our Four-Part Framework
Want to learn more about how our unique 4-part framework can be used to create and implement innovative reforms to address workplace harassment in the wake of the Great Resignation? Read the report.
Interested in how our framework below applies to the the New World of Work? Click here.
PILLAR I. REDUCE
“Reduce” addresses policies and practices aimed at reducing instances of workplace harassment: those that pertain to transparency about the company’s policies and handling of incidents, and effectively training employees to create shared norms and expectations.
Transparency
Transparency can help prevent harassment from occurring in the first place. Employers should establish clear standards of behavior, communicate their policies regularly to employees, and hold individuals who break the rules accountable.
Trainings
Research has shown that anti-harassment training improves understanding about the type of conduct that is unacceptable in the workplace. But the #MeToo movement has demonstrated that traditional training approaches have been largely ineffective at rooting out the problem.
PILLAR II. RESPOND
“Respond” addresses policies and practices aimed at ensuring employers fairly and adequately respond to instances of workplace harassment when they do occur: those that pertain to reporting misconduct internally, establishing fair investigation procedures, and ensuring appropriate corrective action is taken in response to substantiated allegations.
Reporting
To break down barriers to internal reporting, employers must establish clear reporting channels, including providing multiple ways for employees to report misconduct, and protect employees from retaliation so they can effectively respond when incidents of harassment occur in the workplace.
Investigations
#MeToo revealed flaws in existing approaches to investigating workplace harassment. Employers must take steps to create fair, thorough, and impartial investigation procedures to respond effectively when employees report instances of workplace sexual harassment.
Corrective Action
Employers must take workplace harassment seriously and promote accountability for ALL employees. That starts with leaders taking appropriate corrective action measures in response to substantiated allegations of harassment.
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PILLAR III. RETHINK
“Rethink” addresses policies and practices aimed at combatting workplace harassment from a broader perspective: those that pertain to tackling the intersectionality of workplace harassment and creating greater diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Intersectionality
Intersectionality, a term originally coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, is an analytic framework that identifies how interlocking systems of power affect those who are most marginalized in society. It is a key component of rethinking how we approach workplace discrimination.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
While many organizations have been working to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace long before #MeToo, gender inequality remains a pervasive problem, especially in leadership.
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PILLAR IV. REBUILD
“Rebuild” describes our efforts to establish shared norms and expectations among employers across industries, through the development of our corporate certification program.
The Purple Certification Program is now administered by the Purple Method. Please visit our new webpage to learn more.
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