This anti-harassment policy came into effect in Siumut on 1 January 2021.
At Siumut’s party congress held from 27–29 November 2020, it was decided that Siumut would adopt a policy on harassment to ensure the creation of an environment in which everyone, regardless of gender, can feel safe.
As a workplace, Siumut has a duty to comply with occupational health and safety legislation, which, among other things, requires the creation of a safe and healthy working environment that at all times reflects the technical and social development of Greenlandic society.
Through its anti-harassment policy, which also covers bullying, Siumut wishes to send a clear signal that no form of harassment is tolerated within the party organisation. The policy is intended to ensure that party members understand the framework that applies throughout the organisation. The policy describes not only guidelines but also procedures for how employees and members should respond if they are subjected to or witness harassment.
The anti-harassment policy has been adopted by Siumut’s Executive Committee and is communicated to all local branches.
Reports of harassment must be submitted in writing to Siumut’s party office. If the harassment has taken place at the party office and involves party employees, the report must be submitted to the party leadership.
It must be emphasised that the party does not tolerate any form of harassment. In some cases, harassment may result in the person responsible being expelled from the party or dismissed from employment, and the matter may be reported to the police.
Bullying
Bullying occurs when a person subjects a colleague or party member to offensive or abusive conduct. The person subjected to such conduct often experiences it as hurtful or degrading and may be unable to defend themselves in the situation. It is in this context that the violation occurs.
Bullying may, for example, arise on the basis of a person’s nationality, sexual orientation, religion, behaviour or gender.
Examples of bullying
Bullying can take the form of both physical and verbal conduct.
Examples of situations that may be categorised as bullying include:
- Being spoken about negatively behind one’s back.
- Being excluded from social activities or work assignments. This may also involve a general sense of exclusion, for example being left out of conversations during a lunch break.
- Being assigned unreasonable tasks that one does not have the necessary qualifications or prerequisites to perform and which clearly constitute differential treatment compared with other employees.
- Being portrayed negatively on social media, for example on Facebook or Instagram, through images and/or text.
- Receiving unpleasant and offensive emails or text messages.
- Being subjected to negative and offensive remarks that are hurtful and degrading.
- Being hit or otherwise subjected to physical assault.
What should you do if you become aware that bullying is taking place at the party office or in your local branch?
- If you are being bullied, you should clearly and firmly object to the bullying you are experiencing. However, it can be difficult for a victim of bullying to stand up to repeated abusive behaviour. It is therefore important that you seek help from your local chair, the party office or the party leadership, depending on your relationship with the person subjecting you to the bullying.The person receiving the report is required to investigate the matter and assist you.
- If you are the person engaging in bullying, you should understand that bullying constitutes harassment and may have serious consequences for both you and the colleague or party member you are bullying. Even if you consider your actions to be harmless teasing, you should stop immediately if your colleague or fellow party member objects or does not respond positively to your actions.
- As a colleague or party member witnessing bullying, it is important that you do not ignore it. You should intervene immediately to stop the bullying and support your colleague or fellow party member. Your support as a colleague is extremely important both to the colleague or party member concerned and to the further handling of the matter if it is to be investigated.
- As a union representative, you must respond immediately if there is reason to suspect that bullying is taking place at the party office. Once the harasser or harassers have been identified, you must speak with the person concerned and their manager and explain Siumut’s zero-tolerance approach to bullying. You must contact the management of the party office. If the management itself is involved in the matter, contact the party leadership if you observe that the harasser continues the bullying despite having received a warning.As a union representative, you must assist in structuring any harassment case by documenting the time, place and circumstances.
- As a manager or local chair, you must treat all reports of bullying with the utmost seriousness. If an employee, party member or union representative reports that bullying is taking place, it is important that you listen, investigate the matter and take action. In cooperation with the union representative, a meeting should be arranged with the harasser and the employee or fellow party member who is being bullied. At the meeting, you must reiterate the zero-tolerance approach to bullying, and an agreement must be reached with the harasser that the bullying will cease immediately. If the harasser refuses to enter into such an agreement or subsequently continues the bullying despite the agreement, you should consider dismissing the harasser or, if the person is a party member, recommending their expulsion to the party leadership. Seek advice and support from the party office, or from the party leadership if the manager of the party office is the harasser.
The manager of the party office, local chairs and the party leadership always have overall responsibility for ensuring that bullying is rejected in the workplace and at meetings organised by Siumut, and that incidents of bullying have consequences.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is a sensitive and often taboo subject, but fortunately it is increasingly being explicitly recognised and discussed as behaviour that is not tolerated. Siumut has zero tolerance for sexual harassment, and incidents that constitute sexual harassment within Siumut and its local branches must therefore be dealt with immediately.
What is sexual harassment?
There is no objectively defined boundary between acceptable behaviour between people in the workplace and sexual harassment, as perceptions of behaviour may differ from person to person. This is due to differences in traditions, nationalities, perceptions and ways of behaving. Sexual harassment is therefore defined as unwanted behaviour with sexual undertones where the recipient feels violated, humiliated or discriminated against. Both women and men can experience sexual harassment.
Examples of sexual harassment
Sexual harassment can take the form of both physical and verbal conduct. The following are examples of situations that may be categorised as sexual harassment if the recipient experiences them as offensive:
- Kissing and inappropriate or boundary-crossing physical contact, for example touching the buttocks, breasts or lower back. This also includes touching the crotch or buttocks, referred to in Greenlandic as qeerleraaneq. Even if the action is intended as a joke, it should be avoided entirely in order to eliminate the risk of sexual harassment.
- Comments, questions or propositions of a sexual nature. Examples include propositions for sexual intercourse and sexually explicit or sexually suggestive harassment by telephone, letter or text message.
- Other offensive conduct, such as obscene jokes, displaying pornographic material and similar behaviour.
What should you do if you become aware of possible sexual harassment in connection with your work or as a party member?
For everyone involved, the incident must be addressed and dealt with. More specific guidance on what to do depending on the situation is provided below.
As a colleague or party member who is subjected to offensive behaviour, you should clearly and firmly object to actions that make you feel violated, humiliated or discriminated against. Under no circumstances should you give in to the harasser’s wishes.
Seek assistance from the manager of the party office, your union representative or your local chair if the harassment continues.
As a colleague or party member engaging in the offensive behaviour, you must respect your colleague if they object to your actions. You must immediately stop any behaviour that is considered unacceptable – even if you personally regard the behaviour as harmless or humorous.
As a colleague or party member, it is important that you do not ignore the situation if you witness sexual harassment. You must object to the behaviour and support the colleague being subjected to the harassment. Your support as a colleague is extremely important both for the handling of the case and for the person affected.
As a manager or union representative, you must respond quickly and decisively if sexual harassment is suspected. The most important priority is to assist the employee who has been subjected to the harassment. Be aware that sexual harassment may be an underlying reason why an employee changes their behaviour, frequently reports sick or resigns.
If you become aware that sexual harassment is taking place, you must contact the manager of the party office or your local chair as soon as possible. As a union representative, you must assist in structuring a sexual harassment case by documenting the time, place and circumstances.
Seek support and assistance from the Working Environment Authority.
- As manager of the party office, you must treat all reports of sexual harassment with the utmost seriousness. If an employee, union representative or party member reports a case of sexual harassment in connection with participation in a Siumut event or meeting, it is important that you, as manager, listen carefully, investigate the matter and take action. In cooperation with the union representative and party leadership, a meeting must be arranged with the employee/party member who has been subjected to the harassment and the alleged harasser, after which an assessment must be made as to whether sexual harassment is taking place or has taken place. Because such conversations involve sensitive matters, at least three people must be present at the meeting, including the union representative.If it is determined that sexual harassment has taken place, the harasser must be given a clear warning, and it must be emphasised that the sexual harassment must cease immediately. If the harasser does not respect the warning and the sexual harassment continues, the ultimate consequence will be dismissal or expulsion from the party. The seriousness of the case must be assessed, after which a decision will be made as to whether the matter should be reported to the police.
The manager of the party office and the party leadership always have overall responsibility for ensuring that sexual harassment is rejected at the party office and at meetings organised by Siumut, and that incidents have consequences.
A Safe Place to Be
As one of the largest political parties, Siumut has a particular responsibility to create a safe environment. This means that the head office must be a safe place for employees and politicians, as well as a place that partners, guests and anyone associated with Siumut in any way can visit with the assurance that interactions will be respectful.
As a political party organisation, it is important to Siumut that the physical and psychological working environment is given high priority in everyday activities. This means that Siumut, as an organisation and employer, focuses on the working environment in its work and decision-making processes.
Siumut strives to ensure that employees share responsibility for their own physical and psychological working environment and that of their colleagues. It is important to Siumut that efforts concerning the working environment place particular emphasis on prevention. This means that every employee, manager and politician has an obligation to respond if they become aware of issues relating to the working environment.
Nuuk, 1 January 2021
Erik Jensen
Chair