The Workplace has allowed too much unacceptable behaviour for too long
Akan competence center is critical to lack of guidelines when drinking alcohol in a workplace context. The #MeToo campaign reinforces the need for clear attitudes and an openness culture in the workplace.
In the wake of the #MeToo campaign, there has been a lot of focus on sexual harassment in various businesses as well as in party politics:
– We have allowed too much unacceptable behavior for too long in Norwegian working life, says Leader at the Akan competence centre, Camilla Lynne Bakkeng.
Concerns culture in the workplace
Many of the cases show that sexual harassment often occurs in work-related situations, which primarily concerns alcohol culture:
– It’s about having an awareness about your own alcohol related culture. We often shy away from discussing about what happens when we drink together, risking of being perceived as party poopers, Bakkeng believes.
The revealation of sexual harassment reinforces the need for clear attitudes and an openness culture in the workplace. Akan competence center calls for clear rules for what’s ok and what is not in job-related social settings and how to deal with unacceptable behaviour:
– What is crucial is to build a culture where everyone knows where the boundaries are. additionally, we must have leaders who respond to and handle unacceptable behaviour, says Camilla Lynne Bakkeng.
About Akan
Akan Competence Centre is an ideal organization owned by the Norwegian Organization for Enterprise and Industry (NHO), the Trade Union in Norway (LO) and the Norwegian State.
The centre is financed by the state through the Norwegian Directorate of Health, LO, NHO, and income from courses.
The Norwegian Employers’ Association (NAF, now NHO) and LO founded AKAN in 1963.
AKAN was then short for the ‘Working Life Committee against Alcoholism and Drug Abuse’. The state joined as owner the year after.
© Akan / Norway Today
