Harassment, sexual harassment and victimization

Stockholm University shall offer good conditions and opportunities for employees and students. The work and study environment shall make use of the resources that employees and students with different backgrounds, life situations and skills bring to the university.

Everyone must treat each other with respect and Stockholm University has zero tolerance for discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and victimisation.

Work environment and equal opportunity policy at Stockholm University.

At Stockholm University, we work actively and preventively with all types of victimisation. Specific rules regarding harassment and sexual harassment can be found in the Discrimination Act (SFS 2008:567), while the regulations on victimisation can be found in the work environment legislation, more specifically in the Swedish Work Environment Authority's regulations on organisational and social work environment (AFS 2015:4).

What is harassment?

Harassment is defined in the Discrimination Act (SFS 2008:567) as behaviour that violates someone's dignity and is related to one of the grounds for discrimination: gender, transgender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, disability, sexual orientation or age.

Harassment can be when one person exposes another person to, for example, statements about their appearance or behaviour. It can also involve texts, images or gestures that allude to one of the grounds for discrimination and are perceived as offensive and unwanted. For example, someone may make disparaging, ridiculing or generalising remarks about ‘female’, ‘gay’ or ‘Asian’ characteristics. Harassment is particularly serious when a superior, such as a manager, supervisor or teacher, harasses a dependent, such as an employee or student.

It is up to the person experiencing harassme to decide what is perceived as offensive. Thus, behaviour may be perceived as harassment by one person but not by another. The harasser must also be aware that the behaviour is unwanted and abusive. It is therefore important that the person who feels victimised speaks up. Sometimes, however, it is obvious that the person who is harassing should have understood that they are guilty of unwanted behaviour and then no clarification is needed for it to be judged as harassment.

What is sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment is defined in the Discrimination Act (SFS 2008:567) as behaviour of a sexual nature that violates someone's dignity. It can involve unwanted touching, groping, jokes, suggestions, looks, images or jargon that are sexually suggestive and perceived as offensive.

Both women and men can be subjected to sexual harassment and both women and men can sexually harass others. Harassment is particularly serious when a superior, such as a manager, supervisor or teacher, harasses a dependent, such as an employee or student.

It is up to the person experiencing sexual harassmen to decide what they consider to be offensive. Thus, behaviour may be perceived as sexual harassment by one person but not by another. The harasser must also be aware that the behaviour is offensive, and it is therefore important that the person who feels victimised speaks up. Sometimes, however, it is obvious that the harasser should have understood that he or she is guilty of unwanted behaviour and then no clarification is needed for it to be assessed as sexual harassment.

What is victimization?

In all organisations, there are temporary differences of opinion, conflicts and difficulties in cooperation, but victimisation – or bullying – is not about such temporary conflicts.

Victimisation is defined as actions that are directed at one or more employees in an offensive manner and that can lead to ill health or exclusion from the workplace community community (AFS 2015:4). Examples include deliberate insults, degrading treatment, not being greeted, exclusion, withholding information, being excluded from meetings, being unfairly accused or being personally exposed. It is the victim who decides what is perceived as offensive. Thus, a behaviour may be perceived as offensive by one person while another does not perceive it as such.

When victimisation occurs, there is a risk that both individuals and entire work groups will be negatively affected, both in the short and long term. Those who are subjected to victimisation risk physical and mental ill health, reduced self-esteem and lower work performance. Consequences for work groups can be reduced efficiency, increased staff turnover or sick leave.

What can you do if you feel exposed?

  • Inform the person who is harassing, sexually harassing or victimising you that you feel offended and that you want the behaviour to stop. You can also ask someone you trust to talk to the person you feel offended or harassed by.
  • Record the time and place, what happened, what was said and how you felt. Such notes can be useful in the event of an investigation.
  • Tell someone you trust about what happened.
  • Inform your immediate manager, another manager or the Human Resources Office as soon as possible. It is important to resolve the situation quickly.

Where to turn for advice and support

If you feel that you have been subjected to abusive acts, it is important that you inform your manager as soon as possible. You can also contact another manager you trust, or the Human Resources Office. If an employer representative becomes aware that an employee is being subjected to harassment, sexual harassment or victimisation, they have a duty to act.

If you want support in contacting the employer, you can also talk to your trade union organisation, the local work environment/safety representative or one of the chief safety representatives.

If you feel unwell and need to talk to someone quickly, you can call the occupational health service. There is always a nurse who answers and can help you book an appointment for counselling. At Stockholm University, employees have the opportunity for three anonymous visits per calendar year to a psychologist/behavioural scientist.

The occupational health service

How we deal with harassment

When a manager at the university becomes aware that an employee is experiencing harassment or sexual harassment, we are obliged to act. We must investigate the circumstances and, where appropriate, take measures to prevent further offences.

It is the Human Resources Office that investigates harassment and sexual harassment. The Head of Human Resources Office, after consultation with the President, decides on any action required as a result of the investigation. If you report harassment or sexual harassment or if you participate in an investigation of such, you may not, according to the Discrimination Act, be penalised or subjected to negative measures (reprisals).

Instructions for handling harassment of employees.
Instructions for handling sexual harassment against employees.

How we deal with victimisation

How we deal with victimisation
If the employer becomes aware that an employee feels that he or she has been subjected to victimisation, and there is therefore a risk of ill health, the employer is obliged to investigate the reasons for this so that risks of ill health and accidents can be prevented in the future. In practice, this means that the employer must investigate, risk assess and remedy shortcomings in the organisational and social work environment that may give rise to victimisation. Rules on risk assessments can be found in the Swedish Work Environment Authority's regulations on systematic work environment management (AFS 2001:1).

It is the respective department/equivalent that carries out the investigation and risk assessment, with the support of the Human Resources Office. In certain special cases, if deemed appropriate, an investigation into victimisation may be carried out by the Human Resources Office or by an external party.

Measures in response to harassment, sexual harassment or victimisation?

If, after an investigation, Stockholm University concludes that harassment, sexual harassment or victimisation has occurred, the department/equivalent shall take the measures reasonably required to prevent such acts or behavior from taking place in the future. In some cases, labor law action can be taken against an employee who has subjected another employee or a student to harassment, sexual harassment or victimisation.

Follow-up

The concerned department/equivalent must ensure over a long period that the abusive behaviour has stopped. If you are dissatisfied with the investigation work or the university's position, you can contact the Equality Ombudsman, DO.

Diskrimineringsombudsmannen, DO

Contact

In the first place, please contact yourf department.

Last updated: 2024-09-30

Source: Personalavdelningen