← Back to blog

Quoted in Canadian HR Reporter on sexual harassment in male-dominated workplaces

Investigations
Sexual Harassment

I was glad to be interviewed for this recent Canadian HR Reporter article on sexual harassment in male-dominated workplaces.

The article looks at a point I think is especially important: workplace sexual harassment is often misunderstood when it is treated as a few isolated incidents instead of a broader cultural problem. In many cases, the real issue is a set of norms about power, entitlement, silence, and who is expected to “put up with” what. All of which can create or sustain a poisoned work environment. Addressing that problem requires more than a list of forbidden behaviours; it requires serious attention to workplace culture, accountability, and norm-setting.

I’m grateful to be quoted here, and grateful for the attention Canadian HR Reporter is paying to this issue, with special thanks to Sarah Dobson for her reporting.

One point I would sharpen from my interview is the distinction between confidentiality in a workplace investigation and the need for broader workplace restoration where the harm has affected more than the immediate parties. When a toxic environment has impacted a wider team, meaningful restoration work can help re-establish norms of respect and healthier workplace interaction.

‍

tell me what's happening at work

More articles

Does the Existence of Male Survivors Undermine the Gendered Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence?

Does the existence of male survivors mean intimate partner violence is no longer gender-based? No. This article explains why that argument misunderstands both feminist analysis and human rights law, and why the distinction matters for workplace IPV responses.

Black Workers, Workplace Suspicion, and the HRTO’s Evidentiary Catch-22

What a recent HRTO dismissal reveals about anti-Black racism, evidentiary barriers, cultural safety, and the need for trauma- and violence-informed management in workplaces.