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 behaviour 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 behaviour 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 relating to interaction may include for example

• Verbal abuse: continuous yelling, invective and crude remarks in front of others or face to face, gossipping, 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.

• First, if possible, inform the person treating you inappropriately that you do not accept their actions. Tell them clearly and concretely what it is about their behavior that you feel is inappropriate. Ask them to stop this behavior or activity. If you feel that you cannot bring the issue up alone, ask the shop steward, OSH representative or a colleague to support you.
• If it is not possible to discuss the harassment experience with the person concerned, or if the situation continues, inform your supervisor or, if the supervisor is a person who behaved inappropriately, their supervisor. Once the supervisor has received the report, they are obligated to take the necessary measures. You can also inform your local HR person about the incident.
• As a rule, this requires providing the name of the person allegedly acting inappropriately. If you do not provide a name, this will significantly limit the supervisor’s ability to handle and resolve the matter. The same applies if you do not allow the case to be handled under your own name
• If the situation continues, it is useful to document the events (time, place, what happened, own and other's actions) for possible further processing.

• Immediately stop the kind of conduct that is the cause of allegations for harassment, even if you disagree with the person making the claim.
• Keep calm and listen to what the person has to say, even if you consider their allegations groundless. Tell them how you have experienced the incident or situation.
• Do not belittle the experience/feelings of the person criticizing your conduct. Try to see the situation from their point of view – what in your conduct might have caused discomfort.
• If possible, try to find a solution by talking through the incident together. Be ready to apologise for your inappropriate conduct.
• Bring the matter for discussion with your superior as soon as possible.
• Have a discussion with the superior of the person who made the allegations. In the best possible case, the conflict can be settled through negotiation. The conclusion, resolution and steps for follow-up are documented in writing.
• If the conflict cannot be resolved through discussion or by mutual agreement, or if there is a breach of agreement, the procedure will continue in line with Aalto’s process described below. 

• Intervene: harassment or inappropriate behaviour is neither tolerated nor accepted
• Encourage the victim to act and proceed according to Aalto’s process – support your co-worker if needed,
• Contact a supervisor, Aalto's harassment contact persons, HR or a trade union representative: e.g. ”I’m worried about the inappropriate behaviour of xx against yy, and I hope that you as a supervisor can take action to handle the case.
• Act responsibly for the benefit of the entire work community: highlighting inappropriate treatment and harassment and speaking up is an important and responsible action in terms of the work community's ability to work and wellbeing.

In all cases and with all questions you can contact confidentially to Aalto's harassment contact persons by sending email to inappropriateconduct@aalto.fi. Do not include sensitive material in the message that is not necessary for the matter (e.g. information about your own or another person's health or family situation). The email address is read only by harassment contact persons. 

Aalto University's harassment contact persons for personnel are Anne Petroff (anne.petroff@aalto.fi) and Mikko Raskinen (mikko.raskinen@aalto.fi). Their role is to support the person who has experienced harassment or inappropriate behaviour or seen/witnessed it and to help to proceed if so wished. Harassment contact persons do not solve any cases instead they inform about different options to proceed and can support in proceeding the case.

Harassment contact persons are available to provide approximately 1/2 hour info session at department or unit meetings on the prevention of harassment and inappropriate conduct and in Aalto's processes.

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

• HR-palvelut
• Työsuojeluvaltuutetut
• Työsuojelupäällikkö Seija Piiponniemi-Lahti seija.piiponniemi-lahti@aalto.fi
• Luottamusmiehet

• Työterveyshuolto  Työterveyshuollon asiantuntijoihin kannattaa olla yhteydessä silloin kun tarvitsee tukea mielen hyvinvointiin ahdistavassa tai stressaavassa tilanteessa.

  Ohjeet häirinnän varalta sosiaalisessa mediassa Mielen hyvinvoinnin palveluja 

Mikäli opiskelijana koet tulleesi häirityksi tai kohdelluksi epäasiallisesti, saat apua ja tukea ottamalla yhteyttä joko koulusi oppimispalveluiden päällikköön tai ylioppilaskunnan (AYY) häirintäyhdyshenkilöön. Lisäksi keskustelutukea voit saada myös opintopsykologeilta. Lue lisää opiskelijan oppaan sivuilta "Tukea häirintätilanteisiin".

Opiskelijoiden häirintäyhdyshenkilöihin AYY:llä saat yhteyden osoitteessa equity@ayy.fi

Kaikissa tapauksissa ja kaikissa kysymyksissä voit ottaa yhteyttä myös henkilöstön häirintäyhdyshenkilöihin.

Hyödyllisiä linkkejä: 

• Oppimispalvelut   
• Sosiaalisen median suositukset ja ohjeistukset sosiaaliseen mediaan liittyvissä (julkisissa) tilanteissa ja tarvittaessa yhteys viestinta@aalto.fi
• Mielen hyvinvoinnin palveluja