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Many employers have made remote work permanent as we get closer to the second anniversary of moving to remote work due to the pandemic. Surprisingly, some remote workers feel emboldened by the absence of face-to-face contact; they seem to find courage behind a computer wall to send harassing or abusive emails, comments, or texts to co-workers. A 2021 survey from Talent LMS and the Purple Campaign found more than one-third of employees have experienced sexual harassment and lewd behavior over Zoom, Google Hangouts, emails, or internal chat programs at their organization. On the other side of the spectrum, women are feeling non-inclusive behavior in important meetings or assignments, according to Deloitte’s 2021 Women at Work report. Employers need to stay vigilant in communicating their harassment and open-door policies.

One solution is to contract with a third-party vendor to supply a confidential and safe reporting method for incidents. Employers Council offers this pay-as-you-go service. Some systems will also allow AI to find pockets of unacceptable behavior in a department or under a manager; it may also find situations where a toxic environment is brewing or patterns of abuse.

All employees have been exposed to fear, stress, and change in the past couple of years. Employers understand the need for mental health care, including helping employees feel safe and included within their team, department, and organization. Employers should communicate how employees can report their concerns and the tools available to them.