#MeToo: The way forward

The Indian M&E industry is reeling under the #MeToo wave. With names cropping up on a daily basis, agencies and organisations are either in defence mode or damage control mode. While networks like Publicis and DAN have responded by removing people accused of sexual harassment from their agencies, there are others who have denied the claims completely.

While fierce battles are being waged online, with some sympathising with the whistle-blowers and others standing in solidarity with those being called-out, what one cannot overlook anymore is the need to make workplaces more inclusive and a safe space for everyone.

A few years back, while doing a story on women in the advertising industry, one question BestMediaInfo.com had put across was what are the gender dynamics in this industry. Without fail, every response received lamented upon how gender inclusive the media industry was and how, when compared to other, more traditional industries, women had it easier in the M&E industry.

There is no doubt that the M&E industry probably has a higher ratio of working women than many other sectors but is that enough to ensure a safe working environment? The deluge of allegations on social media paints a different picture.

It then becomes important to introspect. What can organisations do to ensure that workspaces do not become hunting grounds to prey upon unsuspecting individuals?

An open and transparent system

Even though communication is the bastion of any organisation in the M&E industry, there is an acute lack of dialogue when it comes to harassment and misbehaviour in workplaces. People tend to sweep bad and dangerous behaviour under the carpet in the name of delusion or over-reaction.

Kunal Jeswani

According to Kunal Jeswani, Chief Executive Officer, Ogilvy, communication and a transparent system ensures that the perpetrators are not let off scot-free. This, he believes, will also encourage victims to come out with their stories.

“There are preventive measures an organisation can take like communicating that the company has zero tolerance for sexual harassment of any kind; organisation-wide sensitisation programmes, clearly articulating what constitutes unacceptable behaviour, and why; clarity on how an employee can make a complaint; demonstrative, swift and fair action on complaints; and encouraging people to discuss issues, building an open culture where people begin to feel the freedom to speak up,” said Jeswani.

Speaking about the measures taken by Ogilvy to check unwelcome behaviour and ensure a safe working environment, Jeswani said that the key areas of focus for Ogilvy were Safety, Support and Sensitisation.

“There are multiple avenues available to every employee to speak up and make a complaint. If an employee wants to register a formal sexual harassment complaint, there are Ogilvy Internal Complaints Committees in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. There is also a WPP Right To Speak Helpline that gives any employees a simple, confidential way to raise an issue directly with WPP. Finally, there are HR leads available, across key offices, if any employee just wants to talk about a problem and seek guidance on how to address it,” added Jeswani.

DDB Mudra too has an Internal Committee where employees can take their grievances. The organisation also conducts regular workshops to create awareness about workplace harassment and sensitise people on the issue.

A statement issued by DDB Mudra in response to a query by BestMediInfo.com said, “At the DDB Mudra Group, we consider it our primary responsibility and commitment to provide our employees with a safe, fair and dignified workplace. As part of this commitment, in compliance with Indian law, we have a clearly defined policy of prevention of sexual harassment at the workplace. Since 2013, we have a duly constituted Internal Committee (IC), including a third party which investigates any complaints received by it and its recommendations are duly implemented. Also, the DDB Mudra Group periodically engages in awareness-building, gender sensitization and prevention of sexual harassment at workplace trainings for all its employees.”

Open and free communication channels within an organisation can also go a long way in building employee confidence. When employees feel that their grievances will be heard and that they will be dealt with fairness, there are more chances of them standing up for themselves and others.

Commenting on the measures they have taken to address the issue of sexual harassment, a Publicis Groupe spokesperson said, “The Publicis Groupe has strict policies and procedures in place that are meant to protect and treat every single employee with respect and dignity. We strive to make all our companies across offices, a safe work environment for all.”

“We conduct regular workshops on recognising and resolving issues of sexual harassment at work. These workshops are conducted across our Groupe companies covering all our offices in India. We also encourage our employees to speak to senior management or the HR team freely and openly. They can raise any questions or concerns around any kind of workplace misconduct be it health and safety, sexual harassment, equal opportunities or any other type of work-related issues,” added the spokesperson.

At the end of day, it simply comes down to one thing: believing. There is no point in arguing that some of these allegations might be false because it is true, some of these allegations could be false. But it is also true that there is basically no incentive for people to come forward and lie about being a sexual assault victim either. The more we believe, the better are the chances of more predators being exposed.

As Jeswani says in conclusion, “The more we systemically encourage people to speak up in the face of harassment and the more we demonstrate that action will be taken, the better our chances of preventing harassment.”

Info@BestMediaInfo.com