May 24 : International Day
On May 24, 2022, the International Day Against Harassment and for Inclusion in the World of Work will be launched. This proposal for an international day is the result of a collaboration between two organizations: Rezalliance, represented by Joelle Payom, and StrukturELLE, represented by Maya Dougoud.
May 24, 2022
International Day
against harassment and for inclusion
in the world of work
About
Theme
Harassment is defined as a failure of will to comply with the duty imposed by the legal order[2], a form of violence[3] that aims to destabilize, inferiorize, isolate, marginalize or even exclude one or more people. Harassment is a form of abuse of a position of power and can manifest itself through acts of physical and/or psychological violence. Harassment takes three forms: moral[4], sexual[5] and environmental. In particular, unwanted behaviour includes 45 acts[6] constituting mobbing, as well as sexual harassment and discrimination.
Harassment affects the entire world of work: human and financial resources, people and structures. In total, one third of working people report unwelcome behavior in the past year. This rate rises to a half over their entire working life.
The human and economic costs are immense and require international consideration, a careful approach and cross-functional incident management.
Distinction
Specification
The International Day Against Harassment and for Inclusion in the World of Work addresses all levels of hierarchy and all expressions of competence.
Although other days address the themes of work-harassment-inclusion, no day approaches these subjects in a direct, transversal and chronic way.
Indeed, for example, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work focuses on physical safety, the Zero Discrimination Day focuses on discrimination without a targeted perspective linked to the world of work. As for the equal-pay day, a day with a national scope, it addresses the economic consequence of one particular aspect of the problem.
The problem is systemic although the topic is sufficiently documented. For example, on the balance of issues and commitments, it is shown that :
- the fact that an inclusive workplace, with ethnic and cultural diversity in the leadership team, is 36% more profitable,
- the fact that a more inclusive work environment, with more women in leadership teams, is 25% more profitable.
However, there is a little appreciation of the value of inclusion and an inclusive perspective on the subject. Interventions against violence in the workplace are not managed in an interconnected way of causes and consequences. Therefore, this day against harassment and for inclusion in the world of work is distinguished by its specificity.
Organisations
Founders
This international day is co-constructed by Rezalliance and StrukturELLE, on the initiative of Joëlle Payom in collaboration with Maya Dougoud.
Rezalliance is a non-profit association based in Geneva, whose objective is to curb harassment and discrimination of all kinds and to strengthen inclusion in the workplace in order to safeguard the integrity of employees while respecting all differences, demographic and cognitive. Rezalliance is an ecosystem of multi-disciplinary experts whose coordinated actions provide a systemic response to a systemic problem.
Joëlle Payom, Founder and President of Rezalliance. Speaker and consultant in psychosocial and reputational risk management
StrukturELLE is a non-profit organization, based in Fribourg, consisting of an association, a foundation and an academic institute, which works to support and guarantee good governance as well as integrity, equality and objectivity in decision-making processes. StrukturELLE is committed to progress in the functioning of structures and to the implementation of clear, transparent, objective procedures, which are indispensable elements for the trust of society in public and private institutions and their ability to function.
Maya Dougoud, Associate Professor HEG-FR, HES-SO, Founder and Co-President of StrukturELLE
Cooperation
Participation
By placing May 24, a day against harassment and for inclusion in the world of work on the international agenda, we invite all actors to consider not only the magnitude of the problem but also to organize themselves in view of inclusive, multi-factorial, multi-tilateral, interconnected, interdisciplinary and transversal solutions.
« To end all forms of harassment in the workplace and to value inclusion, we must act as quickly as possible but as slowly as necessary. »
Rezalliance and StrukturELLE
« Acting together for inclusive, high-performing organizations »
Joelle Payom
« Impose an action beyond expressing an intention »
Maya Dougoud
With the committed support of:
Micheline Calmy-Rey, former President of the Swiss Confederation in 2007 and 2011, Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2003 to 2011
Supports
Citations
With the active participation of:
School of management Fribourg, (University of applied sciences), (HEG-FR, HES-SO)
Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, writer whose story inspired the multiple award-winning film "The Untouchables
Olivier Sandoz, deputy director of the Fédération des Entreprises Romandes, Geneva
Rokhaya Diallo, journalist, TV and radio presenter, director and writer
Roxane Sheybani, President of the Human Rights Commission - Geneva Bar Association
Kim Smouter, Director at European Network Against Racism
« La réalité de la nature humaine est que nous sommes vulnérables. Le bon sens nous amène à respecter l’autre, parce que nous avons besoin de l’autre. La vie n’existe que dans la relation à l’autre» Philippe Pozzo Di Borgo
« Il faut absolument tout mettre en œuvre pour lutter contre toutes formes de discrimination et de harcèlement au sein des entreprises et de la société en général. C’est une mission noble et essentielle. » Olivier Sandoz
« Une journée commune au cours de laquelle on réfléchirait sur les implications du harcèlement dans le cadre professionnel » Rokhaya Diallo
« Tant que les politiques ne considèreront pas qu’il revient à l’Etat de surveiller d’une part et de sanctionner d’autre part, les entreprises qui pratiquent le harcèlement et les discriminations, on ne parviendra jamais à une solution » Roxane Sheybani
«There is an economic cost to exclusion for the society, it is important to have a day which puts the focus on these issues, to become more aware about the complexity, the expression and the prevalence of these issues » Kim Smouter
Statement not aviable in English
Le Conseil fédéral s'engage en faveur d'un monde du travail exempt de violence et de harcèlement[7]
Berne, 18.05.2022 - Le Conseil fédéral a adopté, le 18 mai 2022, un message sur la ratification de la Convention n°190 de l'Organisation internationale du travail (OIT) de 2019 concernant l'élimination de la violence et du harcèlement dans le monde du travail. La convention contient la première définition de la violence et du harcèlement dans le monde du travail qui soit conclue internationalement. Elle crée les conditions-cadres permettant de s'engager mondialement de manière plus cohérente et plus solidaire en faveur d'un travail digne.
En ratifiant la convention, la Suisse réaffirme la nécessité de respecter le droit de chacun à un travail exempt de violence et de harcèlement, de le promouvoir et de le transformer en réalité. La convention prévoit une interdiction légale de la violence et du harcèlement dans le monde du travail ainsi que des mesures de prévention et d'aide aux victimes.
L'OIT a adopté la convention n° 190 à l'occasion de son centenaire simultanément à la déclaration du centenaire pour l’avenir du travail en 2019. Ces deux instruments représentent un pas important vers le renforcement du mandat et de l'activité de l'OIT dans le champ de la promotion d'un travail digne dans le monde. Le Conseil fédéral a présenté à l'Assemblée fédérale un rapport sur la Déclaration du centenaire.
Support
With the active support of*:
Fondation Foyer Handicap Suisse
La Fer Genève (Fédération des Entreprises Romandes)
100 women in finance (international association)
500 Women Scientists Switzerland (local association)
European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
Mexican Products GMBH (distribution company of authentic Mexican products)
Gakomo SA and Gakomo Africa (distribution company of authentic African products)
Network Gay Leadership
SWONET (Swiss Women Network)
«16 Tage gegen Gewalt an Frauen»
cfd – die feministische Friedensorganisation
BPW SWITZERLAND (Business & Professional Women)
SSD Analyse et Développement Sàrl (Santé, Social et Diversités)
Swiss ladies drive GmbH
League of Leading Ladies (Sandra-Stella Triebl)
ALBA (Avocates à la Barre)
männer.ch (association faîtière des organisations progressistes suisses d'hommes et de pères)
Réseau suisse des pères (réseau pour la diversité, l'inclusion et la conciliation entre vies familiale et professionnelle)
Speakture GmbH
EQality by Zita Küng
WBASNY (Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York)
Institute for African Women in Law
VPOD/SSP (Schweizerische Verband des Personals öffentlicher Dienste (VPOD), Syndicat suisse des services publics (SSP), Sindacato svizzero dei servizi pubblici e sociosanitari (VPOD), Sindicat svizzer dals servetschs publics (SSP)
Contacts
Follow up
For more informations :
Joelle Payom, joelle.payom@rezalliance.com, 078 750 65 47 (Fr/En)
Maya Dougoud, maya.dougoud@hefr.ch, 079 781 27 58 (Fr/De/En)
SAVE THE DATE
May 24, 2023
the whole day
first edition of the International Day
in Geneva
[1] Journée internationale contre le harcèlement et pour l’inclusion dans le monde du travail (Fr)
International day against harassment and for inclusion in the world of work (En)
Internationaler Tag gegen Belästigung und für Inklusion in der Arbeitswelt (De)
[2] TERCIER Pierre (1984), Le nouveau droit de la personnalité, Zurich, Schultess Poligraphischer Verlag, 330 p.1984, n. 1879
[3] Harcèlement sexuel, harcèlement psychologique (mobbing) et harcèlement de rue, Guide Social Romand
[4] LEYMANN Heinz (1993), Mobbing, Psychoterror am Arbeitsplatz und wie man sich dagegen wehren kann, Hamburg, Reinbeck, 133 p.
[5] Risque et ampleur du harcèlement sexuel sur le lieu de travail Une enquête représentative en Suisse alémanique et en Suisse romande Berne, 2008
[6] DEVAUD-PLEDRAN Marie (2011), Le harcèlement dans les relations de travail Etude pluridisciplinaire de la question du harcèlement suivie d’une étude comparée entre le droit suisse et quelques législations étrangères, disponible sous le lien suivant : www.unine.ch/files/live/sites/cert/files/ouvrages/Deveaud-Pledran_these.pdf
[7] https://www.admin.ch/gov/fr/accueil/documentation/communiques.msg-id-88864.html