Workplace harassment isn’t always loud or dramatic. Sometimes it’s the inappropriate joke that keeps being repeated. Sometimes it’s the unwanted “pet names” from senior staff. Other times it’s subtle pressure disguised as friendliness. In Ghanaian workplaces where we often treat colleagues like extended family, it can be easy to brush these moments aside. From the “small girl, come” comments, to someone randomly calling you “my wife/husband in the office,” or the supervisor who keeps asking when you’ll cook for him/her. It may seem harmless to some, but this is exactly where workplace harassment often starts.
HR isn’t just there to hand out warning letters or count your leave days. They are the protectors of workplace sanity ensuring everyone feels safe, respected, and valued. Think of HR as the referee in a heated Accra Hearts of Oak vs. Asante Kotoko match. Without them, it’s chaos.
The truth is, harassment can happen anywhere even in well-meaning, friendly environments. In fact, it often hides behind the façade of familiarity. Phrases like “Oh, he/she didn’t mean it,” or “That’s how we joke here,” become excuses that allow harmful behaviour to continue unchecked. HR’s job is to make sure the line is clearly drawn and respected.
A respectful, safe workplace doesn’t just appear. It has to be built, day by day, with intention. That means HR can’t just wait for complaints to come in. The real work is preventive: shaping culture, setting standards, and being proactive about protecting everyone regardless of rank, gender, or contract type.
HR should be introducing clear, relevant policies during onboarding not just sharing a document no one reads, but explaining what harassment looks like, how it shows up here, and what will be done if it happens.
Let’s face it: the generic training content just to cross-out a successful training plan isn’t it. What we need are sessions that reflect local realities from office WhatsApp groups that get too casual, to social gatherings where “just a joke” crosses the line. These are the things people are navigating daily, and that’s where the education needs to happen.
Beyond training, HR needs to be approachable and visible. Staff should feel safe walking into the HR office to talk, not judged, not side-eyed, not told to “let it go.” Creating anonymous
reporting channels, protecting the identity of those who speak up, and following up on every report are non-negotiables.
And it’s not just about reacting. HR should be watching the environment: how leaders interact with teams, how juniors are treated, how people behave in casual settings. These little moments say a lot.
If your CEO is laughing at sexist jokes in the lunchroom, or your HR head shrugs off concerns with “but that’s just how he is,” it creates a culture where harassment is normalized.
Leaders need to model the behavior they expect. No exceptions. Not even for the highest revenue earner or the beloved uncle-type manager who’s been around since “the MTN Spacefon days.”
Let’s foster workplaces that are safe, respectful and conducive to productivity. Creating such environments requires upholding respect, establishing clear boundaries and ensuring basic decency. Safeguarding policies are also essential, they help protect all individuals your organization engages with, including employees, interns, clients and external partners, from harm or inappropriate conduct.
When employees feel secure, they perform at their best, which in turn drives business success.
HR plays a critical role in leading and sustaining these standards.
