Following up on offensive behaviour │ Aarhus University

Here, the manager and the employee can read about what to do after a case of offensive behaviour in order to ensure a good further process and future learning.

After a case of offensive behaviour follows a period in which all parties have to get used to living with what has happened, and together with their manager, they must find a good way to re-establish their working relationship. In this phase, the manager and the parties involved are encouraged to look back and consider whether they can learn anything from the case and thereby prevent it from happening again.

What can we specifically do to follow up?

Manager

Communicate clearly what is expected, in the future, of the parties involved to ensure that the collaboration is reestablished. Follow up on the collaboration and communication between the parties on a regular basis and consider whether any measures are required to prevent future offences.
Offensive behaviour is not just a personal matter, but a shared problem. Be aware of any root causes of the offensive behaviour so you can prevent this behaviour in the future – for example undefined values, unfair differential treatment, unclear alignment of expectations, unresolved conflicts etc.
Reflect on what you have experienced: What worked well and what did not work well in the way you handled the situation? Should a similar situation be handled differently in the future?

Colleague(s)

Pay attention to your colleagues’ needs for support and care while focusing on the future.
Continue the open dialogue about communication and collaboration and keep in mind that we all have different boundaries.
Make sure to contribute to keeping the communication constructive.
Talk to your manager, occupational health and safety representative or union representative if you experience that offensive behaviour happens again.

Employee

If you have experienced offensive behaviour personally:

Talk to your manager about how you and the parties involved can move forward in the best possible way.
Consider what you can learn from the incident and how you can prevent it from happening again.