Creating a Safe Space: The Importance of Addressing Workplace Harassment

Few issues loom larger than having a place at the big table – a cubicle or an OPEN workspace in a corporation big or small. It represents the hopes and dreams of millions of individuals. Yet, as in the case of Elon Musk, one of Silicon Valley’s most celebrated techno-entrepreneurs, the fight to secure an enlightened workplace can be a long and hard fought battle. In late December 2017, Musk was the subject of a lawsuit filed by eight former SpaceX engineers; they claim that they were sexually harassed by Musk and later retaliated against for speaking up. This issue further brings to light the dangers of a culture of openness and innovation, put forward by companies like SpaceX but often standing in direct opposition to employee civil rights.

The Allegations at Hand: A Call for Accountability

The allegations against Musk are serious and mounting. Bloomberg reports that Musk ‘spread sexually explicit pictures and messages, derogatory comments about people’s looks and skills, and a workplace that became hostile to women and LGBTQ+ employees’. Musk didn’t only perpetuate this behaviour. The eight engineers say that the way Musk behaved flowed down through the company, with colleagues copying the CEO’s actions and spreading the toxicity.

Mimicry in the Workspace: The Ripple Effect of Leadership Behavior

It’s difficult to overstate the ripple effect of leadership behaviour. When there is open contempt for professional boundaries and respect at the top, all too often it trickles down to inform the company’s culture and give others licence to act similarly. A contagion of bad behaviour reinforces the need for leaders to demonstrate and mandate respect and professionalism so that all in the organisation feel able to do the same.

The OPEN Letter and Retaliation: A Prelude to Action

Earlier, the same group of engineers had published a letter that expressed public condemnation of what they considered to be inappropriate behaviour by Musk. Instead of leading to a spirit of self-reflection, their bravery led to retaliation, according to the plaintiffs, culminating in their own termination for the very act of open dissent. This contrasts with the vision of transparency and accountability that ought to undergird any forward-looking company.

The Legal Landscape: Seeking Justice and Reform

That fight, symbolised not just by the eight engineers but by the larger struggle of workers against harassment and discrimination, is also being played out in the legal arena. In separate legal proceedings that went before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) early last year, the agency sided with the engineers, finding that SpaceX had illegally retaliated against them. The case has yet to be resolved, though it was temporarily stayed by an appeals court injunction. The SpaceX case illustrates a larger question that confronts so many who find themselves the victims of harassment and discrimination: just how easy or hard it is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable for their actions.

The Broader Impact: Lessons for the Corporate World

The lawsuit against Musk reminds us that we still have a great deal of work ahead to create work environments characterised by respect, integrity and decency. All companies, as the creators of the markets of today and tomorrow, share a responsibility to ensure that they provide work environments free from harassment and discrimination. Leadership, at all levels, must be committed to these values and to encouraging cultures where leaders share feedback dispensed in a spirit of support. Employees must feel safe and fulfilled in their work, and accordingly voice their opinions and concerns freely.

Safeguarding OPENness and Respect in the Workplace

Solving the problem of harassment in the workplace will require much more than policies on laminated paper. The culture within an organisation needs to shift towards genuine openness and respect. Procedures for reporting, investigation and accountability need to be clear. Perhaps most important of all is an atmosphere where there can be a free exchange of conversation about what’s happening, and where employees can speak up and air their concerns without fear of jeopardising their careers.

About OPEN

‘Open’ is not just about physical workspaces; it is about the values of transparency, openness, inclusivity and mutual respect on which a healthy workplace should be built. ‘Open’ is a space where the freedom to think can be exercised; a space where diversity is appreciated; where every employee feels that he or she has been treated with dignity. The challenge ahead for the world’s firms is to live up to this vision of openness; to reinforce their commitment to a space where people of all kinds, hierarchies and functions feel that they can work in safety and with respect.