KINGSTON, Jamaica -The working class is championing the implementation of the Sexual Harassment (Protection and Prevention) Act as members claim that they are at a loss when it comes to reporting incidents of sexual harassment within their places of employment.

The Act came into effect on July 3, but was passed in 2021. Under the law, workplaces and institutions are required to issue sexual harassment policies and bring those policies to the attention of workers. The policy should advise how complaints of sexual harassment should be reported and addressed.

However, there are many who still have issues with ascertaining what constitutes sexual harassment and the process of making a report should an incident occur. As a result there are those who have been sexually harassed and would have decided to ignore it.

“I have been sexually harassed in the work place but at the time I did not even take it as that or realise that it was sexual harassment, so I had brushed it off and ignored it,” said one woman who wanted to be identified as Vanessa H.

She told OBSERVER ONLINE that while it did not directly happen at her place of work—as she is a radiographer with a private company— it did happen with a business affiliated with her company. She said that even if she had recognised the incident as sexual harassment, she would not know how to make a report as her workplace has never done any sensitisation exercises. As such, she is in full support of the law being implemented.

“My knowledge about what falls under the umbrella of sexual harassment and how to make reports on it is very minimal but with this Act coming into play I am open to learning more about it and about how to address it if the need arises,” Vanessa H said.

Another woman, who opted to remain anonymous, stated that she has also been sexually harassed in the workplace but she decided not to make an official report as it is often brushed off as the regular behaviour of the harasser.

“I know of persons who have been sexually harassed, I too would have experienced that. When it happened to me, I pretty much didn’t do anything; just spoke to my colleagues about it. But it was never reported because I feared how I would have been perceived. Because a lot of times people would usually say ‘a so him stay’,” she said.

She has since changed workplaces, and is now employed as a financial advisor. However, she revealed that over the course her employment history beginning in 2018 she has never gone to a sexual harassment sensitisation workshop or training, including in her current capacity.

“I am not 100 per cent clear on what to do when sexually harassed. To be honest, interacting and being in different work environments in terms of different companies, I don’t think there is anything clear as to how one deals with that. There are other sensitisation trainings, for example they (workplace) have mandatory POCA (Proceeds of Crime Act) training constantly where they focus on what is acceptable and all of that but as it relates to sexual harassment there is nothing, nothing at all,” she said.

With the Act now in effect, the financial advisor hopes that it will hold employers accountable when they neglect to inform and protect employees who have been sexually harassed.

Before the Act came into effect earlier this week, the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport said that, through the Bureau of Gender Affairs, it has been holding sexual harassment sensitisation sessions with public and private organisations, schools, community-based organisations, and faith-based organisations, to help prepare them for implementation of the law.

However, one government employee stated that while her agency does regular sexual harassment training, it has not deterred some co-workers.

“My work lplace has done regular sensitisation exercises but despite these sessions, there is still sexual harassment happening there. I feel like things are about to get some shaking up around here with this law being implemented. I just can’t wait for the education of the wider populace for them to have a greater understanding of the concepts,” the woman, who only wanted to be identified as Kelly, stated.

Another government employee identified only as Clarke, told OBSERVER ONLINE that his agency has also done sensitisation exercises and that is how he knew and could recognise that some acts he has ignore could have been classified as sexual harassment.

“By its definition, I guess I technically have been sexually harassed. Basically it was just playful touches with certain close work friends, but it’s not that I had an issue it’s just that the definition given at the last exercise would technically make it sexual harassment,” Clarke said.

And that is why he welcomes the Sexual Harassment (Protection and Prevention) Act as he believes it is “the step in the right direction to make information more accessible that would allow persons to identify when they are being harassed”.