While most instances of work-related sexual harassment occur on-site, sexual harassment can happen anywhere. Business travel often features unstructured downtime and after-hours socializing (and, often, alcohol consumption), which can, unfortunately, heighten the possibility of inappropriate, unprofessional, and even unlawful behavior. How can you ensure that all your people are safe when they represent your organization out in the world? A healthy workplace culture – characterized by effective communication, clearly articulated expectations, and psychological safety – is crucial.
Communication
Of course, team members need to know that sexual harassment is never acceptable in your organization. Effective anti-harassment training – that teaches employees to recognize, address, and report sexual harassment - is part of communicating this message. One important fact to emphasize is that an incident doesn’t have to occur within the confines of the workplace to be considered workplace sexual harassment – and inappropriate behavior that occurs at external events and locations will have the same potential repercussions that it would have in the office (or retail floor, or warehouse, or etc.).
Expectations
Effective communication creates the foundation for standards of behavior that every team member is expected to maintain. This is the same behavior we expect every day: simply put, everyone is always treated with dignity and respect. While we shouldn’t dismiss the opportunities for team building and cohesion that less formal after-hours interactions can provide, team members should know that there are no “hall passes” for business travel. “We encourage you to relax with and get to know your co-workers better but don’t relax your professional standards. If you wouldn’t do or say it in a roomful of your co-workers here, don’t do or say it in the hotel restaurant,” is a good message.
Psychological Safety
Finally, employees should know that they are safe to report any sexual harassment that occurs during work travel. If you have created an atmosphere of psychological safety – where people feel valued and supported, know their reports won’t be greeted with doubt or resentment, and know that appropriate action will be taken as warranted – this won’t be a problem. Psychological safety fosters a workforce of upstanders who will speak up when they see or experience inappropriate behavior – wherever it may occur. In this safe environment, those who may be prone to problematic behavior will likely be more mindful to stay within acceptable bounds.
Like just about everything else, preventing sexual harassment during business travel comes down to workplace culture. If you have built an environment that prioritizes respectful teamwork, you’ve got a head start on preventing these harmful incidents.