On Fri, 25 May 2012, [email protected] wrote:
I kind of wonder what sort of signals this puts forth. In most cases
places have policy because something happened, or they are just building
a huge book of policies because they have some lawyer on retainer with
nothing better to do.
If someone was to look at LOPSA and see how little there is in regards
to membership requirements and/or things around attending a event and
one of the few things there is a policy on Harrassment, how might they
react.
1. Cool, this is someplace that is prepared, safe, .... or
2. I wonder what happened that they needed to spend how much time to come up
with this?
I'd fall into group 2. How bad were things that pushed this into existance?
I'd like to turn that queston around. Why is it that you'd automatically
presume that having an anti-harassment policy means that there must have
been problems in the past?
Chances are that in most locations where events take place, they already
have a code of conduct for what happens. They don't want their facility
to become known as the place where problems are allowed to occur without
ramifications.
That's not actually the case, and it's also functionally saying "Oh, well,
things like this really aren't _my_ issue, somebody else has doubtless
already dealt with it", which is definitely not taking responsibility for
ourselves as an organizaton or a profession.
Also, I think the Code-Of-Ethics really covers things.
Professionalism
I will maintain professional conduct in the workplace, and will not
allow personal feelings or beliefs to cause me to treat people
unfairly or unprofessionally.
Ethical Responsibility
I will strive to build and maintain a safe, healthy, and productive
workplace.
...
I will lead by example, maintaining a high ethical standard and degree of
professionalism in the performance of all my duties. I will support
colleagues
and co-workers in following this code of ethics.
Members need to lead by example. Allowing harrassment to happen and
not taking action is a failure to lead or strive to maintain professional
conduct.
You're presuming that harassment or allowing harassment is a failure to
lead, or maintain professional conduct -- and based on past history (not
for LOPSA in particular, but in general), that's not a universally held
belief.
If you are at a conference of LOPSA event, chances are you have a name
badge on that indicates your name and where you work. Even if it doesn't
have your employeer you are mingling with others in a professional setting.
Act professional. Chances are if you work for a company they have a code-of-
conduct you should be following. If nothing else, if someone is causing
problems
in this space at a conference, maybe it should be reported back to their HR
department. They are acting as a company rep to some degree. Do you want
your company name pulled throught the muck?
Once again, that sounds like "I don't want to deal with this, it should be
somebody elses problem". What's so problematic about stepping up, leading
by example, and saying "No, harassment is not okay!"?
I've attached a bunch of links about harassment taking place, and
anti-harassment policies here, for background information.
http://lwn.net/Articles/417952/
http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Timeline_of_incidents
http://adainitiative.org/2011/07/oreilly-announces-anti-harassment-code-of-conduct/
http://radar.oreilly.com/2011/07/sexual-harassment-at-technical.html
https://www.usenix.org/conferences/harassment-policy
Is there really a need to go beyond this. Harrassement is NOT healthy
or ethical.
If everybody felt this way, we'd all be further ahead -- unfortunately that
isn't the case.
Wouldn't it be better to spend the effort going into this on something else?
Have you, yourself experienced sexual harassment or discrimination based
on your race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender
or sexual orientation?
It's very easy to dismiss concerns that aren't often (or ever) an issue
for you personally as unimportant.
Please recognize that the people bringing up the question of an
anti-harassment policy find it to be a matter of definite and ongoing
importance, and a topic well worth spending effort on -- and that responses
that boil down to "That's not an worthwhile problem" are, in and of
themselves saying "Harassment isn't such a big deal, who cares".
cheers!
==========================================================================
"A cat spends her life conflicted between a deep, passionate and profound
desire for fish and an equally deep, passionate and profound desire to
avoid getting wet. This is the defining metaphor of my life right now."
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