This is an article sourced from CityNews Calgary, written by Lauryn Heintz

Sexual harassment in Alberta workplaces hasn’t gone away with the growth in remote work — it’s simply moved into cyberspace.

A survey conducted by RA2 Research on behalf of the Workers Resource Centre (WRC), found that more than half of workers in the province have witnessed sexual harassment online. One in ten people say they have experienced sexual harassment while working from home, according to the report released Wednesday.

New data from Statistics Canada shows that more Albertans were victims of indecent and/or harassing communications last year. In 2022 there were 4,948 police-reported incidents of indecent or harassing communications in the province, up nearly 7 per cent since 2021.

Unwanted online messages or text messages are the second most common form of sexual harassment for Alberta workers, behind only sexual jokes or inappropriate comments.

Examples of sexual harassment in the remote workspace may include inappropriate verbal comments, gestures, or digital communication of a sexual nature, according to executive director of the WRC Carolyn Krahn.

As homes became offices, the line between work and out-of-office was blurred, she continued, saying that workers receiving unwanted messages like non-work-related text messages or emails directly to their cell phone or at their home office computer may feel like there is no way to escape the harassment, even though they are not physically in the workplace.

More than one one third of workers in Alberta said they have experienced sexual harassment in the form of unwanted online messages or text messages, while 42 per cent say they have seen these kinds of sexual harassment.

The WRC says working remotely can make employees more vulnerable to sexual assault, since it can happen in any online space at any time, even after work hours, according to Krahn.

Virtual work can also make it difficult for individuals to spot incidents of sexual harassment, she added, and the online platform may make them feel like they can’t come forward to HR.

Employees at all levels have relatively the same likelihood of experiencing sexual harassment through unwanted messages, showing that the problem can be widespread within an organization, the WRC says.

The research also says Calgarians and women under the age of 55 are the most likely to witness an instance of sexual harassment online or by phone related to work.

Calgarians are also more likely to witness sexual harassment while working from home compared to Edmontonians and those in rural areas.

Alberta’s Sexual Harassment Resource Hub, HereForHelp.ca, was recently launched by the WRC, and hosts numerous resources to support those subjected to sexual harassment at work.

See the original article here https://calgary.citynews.ca/2023/08/02/alberta-remote-work-sexual-harassment/