New Strategies for Addressing Sexual Harassment at Work to Be Webinar Topic
A panel of experts will discuss current thinking and innovative strategies for how unions and workplaces can address sexual harassment and the effects of intimate partner violence in the workplace on December 11.
The free, live webinar, “Insights from Research and Advocacy to Address Sexual Harassment and Intimate Partner Violence in the Workplace,” begins at noon and will conclude at 1:30 p.m.
The public is invited to register for the event here.
Moderated by Zoë West, senior researcher at the ILR School’s Worker Institute, the webinar will begin with Michael Lenmark, senior research support specialist at the Worker Institute, sharing findings from the latest Empire State Poll about sexual harassment and intimate partner violence in the workplace. The six-person expert panel will discuss these findings based on their diverse backgrounds in law, safety and health, unions and communities.
The panel will include:
- Adrienne DerVartanian, senior counsel for workplace justice, National Women’s Law Center
- George Kilpatrick, co-director of prevention education at Vera House
- Jessica Martinez, executive director, National Council for Occupational Safety and Health
- Leah Rambo, president, Nontraditional Employment for Women
- Michael Lenmark, senior research support specialist, ILR Worker Institute
- KC Wagner, director of equity at work, ILR Worker Institute
According to West, the webinar is aimed at people who are involved with setting workplace policy, whether they are in a union or are an employer. It’s also for individuals who want to act on this issue, whether as survivors or as people who feel strongly about it.
“Everyone deserves the opportunity to work with dignity in an environment that’s free from violence,” Lenmark said. “But, for many people, that’s not the case. So, it’s important that we understand how many people are experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace, as well as the gendered and racial dynamics that can impact that.”
Lenmark added, “It’s also important to look at how domestic violence can impact the workplace because this issue is often misunderstood as only affecting people in their homes.”
The most recent Empire State Poll found that 22% of all respondents have experienced sexual harassment in their current and/or previous job. In addition, 18% have experienced intimate partner violence at some point in their lives. Women experienced both at higher rates, with almost 33% experiencing workplace sexual harassment and over 25% experiencing intimate partner violence.
West and Lenmark hope attendees will learn more about the empirical findings from the poll and gain insight into why these issues continue and how to address them. “This webinar is a chance for the panel of experts to spotlight some more interesting and effective ways of confronting this issue that go beyond the bare minimum approach that we often see,” West said.
As moderator, West looks forward to drawing connections between the areas of expertise that panelists will highlight across different industries and communities. “In my research, I’ve explored different models and training approaches and connected with practitioners and folks across the spectrum who are confronting this issue in different ways,” she said.
Lenmark has played a central role in the development and analysis of the Empire State Poll as part of a committee that includes the Center for Applied Research on Work, Worker Institute, Buffalo Co-Lab, and Climate Jobs Institute. He is also launching a new research project with KC Wagner focused on better understanding how union members experience harassment and intimate violence, and what unions can do to better support their members with resources, training, and collective bargaining.
The Worker Institute engages in research and education on contemporary labor issues, to generate innovative thinking and solutions to problems related to work, economy and society.
