Section 28 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act prohibits harassment or other inappropriate treatment that causes health hazards or risks. The law does not, however, define these concepts. All negative behavior in the workplace does not constitute harassment or inappropriate treatment causing health hazards or risks as referred to in the law

Inappropriate treatment is negative behavior towards another person in the workplace, contrary to the law, good conduct or one’s own duties. It is often continuous and systematic but it can also be occasional. The target may be any member of the work community

Harassment means such situations, where a person is repeatedly and for a long time subjected to oppressive, insulting or subordinating treatment and this causes them health hazards. The actor can be a colleague, a subordinate or an outsider, such as a customer. Harassment is one form of inappropriate treatment, but not the only one. Harassment is often referred to as workplace bullying.

Sexual harassment in the Equality Act, means verbal, non-verbal or physical unwanted conduct of a sexual nature by which a person’s psychological or physical integrity is violated intentionally or factually, in particular by creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive atmosphere. 

Gender-based harassment means unwanted conduct that is not of a sexual nature but which is related to the gender of a person, their gender identity or gender expression, and by which the person’s psychological or physical integrity is intentionally or factually violated and an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive atmosphere is created.

Inappropriate treatment related to interaction can include, for example, the following - it is good to note that interaction situations are experienced individually in very different ways

• Verbal abuse: continuous yelling, invective and crude remarks in front of others or face to face, gossiping, mockery, undermining someone’s position or reputation, spreading rumours
• Non-verbal bullying: negative/mocking facial expressions and looks, hostile silence, ignoring
• Social isolation: exclusion from the work community
• Inappropriate text messages, emails and cyber bullying
• Physical aggression: unwanted physical contact without sexual meaning, threat of physical violence
• Sexual harassment: sexually suggestive gestures and facial expressions,
  rude language, double-meaning jokes, remarks about the body, dress or private life
  and questions, sexually explicit material, letters, e-mails or telephone calls,
  unwanted physical touching, sexual intercourse or other sexual contact or requests
• unjustified questioning of a person’s health, work ability or mental health

Inappropriate treatment relating to work and working may include for example

• Hindering work or studies: holding back information, sharing incorrect information, demands for excessive or too modest work /study loads, setting up unreasonable timetables
• Putting an employee, groundlessly and without cause, in an unequal position compared with other employees e.g. in regard to training possibilities, remuneration or other benefit
• inappropriate abuse of the employer’s right to direct
• giving degrading orders
• changing the agreed working terms and conditions on illegal grounds
• withholding information
• repeated, unjustified intervention in a person’s work, repeatedly undermining a person’s work
• changing the quality or quantity requirements unjustifiably

• Any orders issued by the employer based on the legal right to direct and supervise – the employer is entitled to decide on the required quality, scale, methods and procedures at the workplace
• Handling and settling work-related conflicts within the working community or organisation, even if it would stir up mixed feelings
• Setting targets to the employees and the follow-up; supervisors' intervention to employees' work performance in case of continuous or repeated failure to achieve the expected standards.
• Conflicts that arise due to decisions related to work or studies or the interpretations thereof, even if they cause uncertainty to the parties involved
• Justified and legal changes in the organisation or in employees' duties
• When the employer refers the employee for a work ability assessment after discussing the challenges in work performance with the employee
• Justified disciplinary action (e.g. reprimand or warning) against an employee or a student
• Occasional disagreements or different points of view between persons, even if they would cause feelings of being sad or offended.

• If possible, always first inform the person who has offended you that you do not accept their behavior. Explain clearly and concretely what you consider to be inappropriate in their behavior. Ask them to stop such behavior or actions. If you do not want to, or do not dare, to raise the issue alone, ask the occupational safety representative, shop steward or a colleague to join you and report the matter with their support.
• If it is not possible to discuss the experience of harassment with the person concerned, or if the situation continues, report the matter to your own supervisor or, if the supervisor is the person who has behaved inappropriately, to their supervisor. Once the report has been received, it is the supervisor’s task to start investigating the matter without delay. You can also report what has happened to the HR representative of your own unit.
• As a rule, this requires giving the name of the person who is said to be acting inappropriately. If you do not give a name, this will significantly limit your supervisor’s ability to investigate and resolve the matter. The same applies if you do not give permission for the matter to be handled under your own name. 
• If the situation continues, it is useful to document the events (time, place, what happened, your own and the other person’s actions) for possible further processing.

• Immediately stop any behavior or harassment that is perceived as inappropriate, even if you do not believe you have engaged in bullying or harassment.
• Stay calm and listen to what the person who raised the issue says, even if you consider the accusations unfounded. Share your own view of the matter or situation.
• Do not belittle other people’s feelings. If possible, discuss together how the issue could be resolved. Be prepared to apologize for your behavior that has been perceived as inappropriate.  
• Discuss the matter with your own supervisor as soon as possible.
• If necessary, discuss the matter with the supervisor of the person who has experienced inappropriate treatment. In the best case, the issue can be resolved through discussion, and the outcome of the discussion, the agreed solution and the monitoring of the matter are recorded.
• If the matter is not resolved through discussion or mutual agreement, or the agreement is not upheld, the process will continue in accordance with the investigation procedure described below.

• If possible, intervene in the situation: inappropriate treatment or harassment is not tolerated or allowed.
• Encourage the person who has experienced harassment or inappropriate treatment to bring the matter up or to take it forward in line with Aalto’s operating model, and act as a support person if necessary.
• If necessary, inform a supervisor, HR staff, harassment contact persons or a shop steward about the matter – for example: ‘I am concerned that person A is behaving inappropriately towards person B, and I hope that as a supervisor you will address the issue.’
• Act responsibly for the benefit of the entire work community: raising and addressing inappropriate treatment and harassment is important and responsible activity for the work ability and well-being of the work community.

Contact persons during the event:

• The harassment contact person of the event, if nominated
• Lobby Services staff of Aalto buildings; they are always there to help
  The security officers of the event in question, if appointed; they are responsible for clearly disturbing incidents, such as threat of violence, disturbing drunkenness

Contact points after the event:

• Event organizer
• Aalto University's designated harassment contact persons; staff/students/outsiders can contact inappropriateconduct@aalto.fi
• Aalto University's ethical channel WhistleB 
• A university employee can also contact their own supervisor or HR
• University students can also contact the teacher in charge of the course or the managers of academic affairs at their own schools