4 Things Your Business Can Do To Support #MeToo

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It’s becoming increasingly harder to watch the news without hearing of new allegations of sexual assault. Hollywood is, quite rightly, in the spotlight at the minute and will be for years to come. However, normal, run-of-the-mill businesses aren’t immune to allegations either. What has been shocking about revelations is how prevalent sexual impropriety is in the workplace. Women from around the world, from all walks of life, have shared very similar stories. This means one thing – it may happen in your business. So, the question for bosses is: “what can I do to support the work of #MeToo?” Here are four pieces of advice that will help.

Accept It

It’s a massive cliché, but the first step on the path to recovery is to admit there is a problem. Don’t get sucked into the attitude that it’s only the top movie execs that are to blame. Sexual assault in the workplace takes many forms and your employees may see it on a daily basis. By understanding it happens, it will make the company more aware. Also, and this is essential, it encourages the management to take a stand. Accepting that it can be a problem anywhere in the world means you have to make the office aware of the company’s policies and what is and is not acceptable.

Delegate Power

Let’s not dilute your role because the boss always has the final say. However, you can’t deal with potentially hundreds of people o a daily basis. There is a reason for managers – they’re the firm’s eyes and ears. They should also be the police officers in the office regarding sexual harassment. Managers are the first port of call. For example, a worker will go to them to report the issue because they have a connection. But, if the line managers aren’t empowered, then the workforce won’t feel as if they can communicate. Ensure they know how to listen and help, but, most importantly, make sure they make coming forward easier.

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And Outsource Expertise

The company needs detailed and exhaustive policies to safeguard its employees. There’s one hitch – you’re not an expert. Everyone understands the basics because they are not complicated. But, once you get into the nitty-gritty, then it becomes harder to police. Winer, McKenna & Burritt is a law firm that deals with sexual harassment cases. With a law firm such as this on your side, it is far easier to create solid, unshakeable policies. Please don’t let ego get in the way. Where there is a gap in knowledge, you should outsource to a third-party.

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Make Training Mandatory

Training seminars are a good idea even if the office is squeaky clean. Firstly, some people may not know what constitutes harassment and assault. As shocking as it sounds, it’s true. Secondly, training reinforces the business’s rules and regulations. Sending out an email blast is a start but it only raises awareness of the issue. To change behaviors, the firm has to teach its employees how to act professionally.

How do you plan on helping the women and men who have been brave enough to speak out?

Movie Review Monday: Dear White People

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2014 film, Dear White People, written and directed by Justin Simien.

The story of the movie takes a comedic yet poignant look at an ensemble of college students dealing with privilege, race, and identity. It takes place at the fictional Ivy League institution, Winchester University, and builds toward a black face party that mimics recent real world events.

This is a great film for several reasons. It address very real and important concerns, and it does it in a palatable, fun way that doesn't take away from the relevance and takeaways. It delves into the deep identity issues that can be experienced by college students, especially students of color (mainly black students). There is so much pressure coming from different sides, saying who we should or shouldn't be and how we are supposed to act. This is even more severe for black students, since they're in environments that are typically built for their white counterparts, and they don't feel as heard, respected, or supported. The types of discussions that happen in the movie are ones that I feel like I have seen pretty much verbatim.

I think especially for folks who are college students, or work with college students, this can be a very important and necessary viewing. You can better understand your peers or the students you serve respectively. On top of that, it is at the very least an engaging film about coming of age and figuring who we want to be. I'll also give some kudos to the ensemble cast of this film. Everyone delivers in their roles and all of the characters interact in neat ways.

You can check out Dear White People streaming right now on Hulu and Amazon Prime Instant Video.

Thanks for stopping by!

Strong Female Characters in Movies & the "Trinity Syndrome"

I stumbled upon this article recently and found it to be another thoughtful and relevant look into the images media is portraying for audiences today, similar to the "Flawless Rescue Stud" phenomenon I wrote about earlier. I definitely agree with the author that Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow was a great character, and I wish more females in movies were like her. It is disappointing to hear of a lot of recent films with strong females who are given nothing to do to further the plot. It seems like such a waste!

I always enjoy reading things like this so I thought I'd share. Let me know what you think about it.

Romantic Comedies & The "Flawless Rescue Stud"

I just read this editorial article over at Nerdist.com about an unfortunate phenomenon in romantic comedies of late where their male characters, referred to as "Flawless Rescue Studs", are creating unrealistic and harmful portrayals of romantic relationships. The basic premise, which is elaborated on in the article, showcases the trend of male characters "saving" the women characters in these movies and rescuing the women who have basically been made incapable of solving anything themselves without a man around. It has a lot of important connections and connotations for feminism and masculinity and how they're represented in media so I recommend giving it a read. Lets support more original, creative, and realistic representations of people and their relationships. Check out my movie reviews for some great examples of this streaming now on Netflix.

Support for #YesAllWomen & The Real Issues Behind Elliot Rodger

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPFcspwbrq8] I felt the urge to share this video* because I feel it is important as a male feminist ally. Laci Green sums up the issues very well behind why someone would do the terrible things Elliot Rodger did and how misogyny is literally killing people.

* Warning: Footage of Elliot Rodger is shown in this video, albeit a brief clip. I know some people may not want to see him/hear him, so I am including this caveat to the above video.

Support #YesAllWomen on Twitter with a retweet, favorite, or even just taking some time to read all of the messages. There is some great learning and catharsis happening on there.