The Role of Support Following Workplace Harassment Experiences
Abstract
Experiences of harassment and violence within the workplace in Canada are an increasingly serious concern. Three-quarters (71.4%) of Canadian workers in a recent survey experienced harassment and/or violence at work in the past year (Berlingieri et al., 2022). Following harassment and violence at work, individuals experience a wide range of negative consequences including mental health issues, physical health issues, and depleted social support networks. Through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, this study explored the role that support (including social, familial, and organizational) played following experiences of harassment and violence at work. Work environments are continuously perpetuating unhealthy and harassing behaviours, through a lack of support for victim-survivors. These individuals received support from those both within and outside of the workplace, which aided in feelings of validation and understanding. These supports, however, were not enough to change the toxic workplace cultures that perpetuate feelings of secrecy and continue to allow these harassing and violent behaviours to continue to occur. These participants advocated for a change in policy, reporting procedures, and workplace cultures, to ensure that victim-survivors do not have to continue to live and work with the fallout of the harassment and/or violence that they endured.