On April 4 Fiotec received the Cogepe/Fiocruz People Management coordinator, Andréa Carvalho, for a conversation on harassment, based on the guidelines released by Fiocruz. For Fiotec’s executive director, Hayne Felipe, who opened the meeting, this discussion is necessary to welcome all men and women, in order to fight all kinds of violence in the work environment.

Carvalho began her lecture talking about moral harassment, the most prevalent in the work environment. According to Carvalho, this type of aggression is about attitudes that diminish a person and his/her work, and is characterized by repetition, embarrassment and humiliation.

She emphasized that there is a fine line between conflict and moral harassment: when harassment takes place, divergences are implicit, the entire atmosphere in the organization changes, unethical practices are long lasting and may even result in discharge or dismissal. This is why it is important to gather evidence and testimonies.

Another kind of violence that is common in the workplace is sexual harassment, which majorly affects women. In general, it involves a hierarchical issue. The aggressor suggests a sexual favor so the victim can get things done in her/his work activities. 

Carvalho also addressed disguised forms of ableism, i.e. violence against people with disabilities. “This type of violence happens very often because we’re not paying attention to the difficulties faced by this group of people, and some institutions are simply not prepared to receive them. This means they’re not fully enjoying their rights as citizens”, she stated.

As she presented the guidelines issued by Fiocruz and the hotlines, Carvalho also mentioned other forms of exclusion at work: LGBTphobia, racism, xenophobia, importuning, religious harassment, and ageism. “This is not just a problem for specific people. We need to fight all kinds of violence, together”, she concluded.

 Access the Guidebook on Moral and Sexual Harassment and Other Kinds of Violence at Work, by Fiocruz.