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Sexual Harassment of Janitors and Security Officers Who Work Alone at Night
LOHP recently issued a report on sexual harassment and sexual assault in the property services industry. This report complements the UC Berkeley Labor Center's report on wage theft, "Race to the Bottom." Sexual harassment is a problem that is well known among janitors and security officers but largely invisible to outsiders. Between one-third and one-half of women are sexually harassed at some point in their working life, but this number is likely to be even higher in low-wage industries like the property services industry. It is also not unusual for workers in low-wage industries to be sexually harassed or assaulted by their own supervisor.
A key finding of the report is that the property services industry is structured in a way that isolates workers who are uniquely vulnerable to sexual harassment, and then creates conditions in which workers are afraid to step forward to report harassment. There are several factors that increase the risk of sexual harassment and assault among janitors and security guards:
- Working in isolation at night allows supervisors to exert greater control over workers and reduces the likelihood that others will intervene or serve as witnesses.
- Characteristics of the workers, such as being female, Latina, immigrant, and/or undocumented, can make it less likely that workers will report harassment due to the fear of retaliation or lack of familiarity with their rights or resources available to them.
- Layers of contracting and subcontracting create less accountability on the part of employers.
- A workplace culture – including poorly trained managers and supervisors, inadequate or non-existent sexual harassment policies, unfair investigations that humiliate workers, and retaliatory threats – serves to embolden harassers.
Finally, workers who do step forward to file harassment claims with the federal and state enforcement agencies often face limited protections and protracted investigations. Criminal charges are rare.
LOHP will soon release a new report proposing a set of recommendations to reduce the risks faced by janitors and security officers. A central recommendation is the need for employers to develop and enforce effective sexual harassment policies. Elements of a model sexual harassment policy are described in the report, along with other interventions to prevent and address sexual harassment.
UC Berkeley Labor Center's "Race to the Bottom" report
KPBS radio interview with LOHP Program Coordinator Helen Chen
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Inmate-Workers Take Actions to Promote Workplace Health and Safety
LOHP has taught supervisors from California Prison Industries Authority to teach the state’s Worker Occupational Safety and Health (WOSH) Specialist class to their inmate-workers. But can inmate-workers actually take a leadership role in the prison environment? Can they identify problems and advocate for solutions? It turns out they can. LOHP recently received a letter from a Soledad Prison inmate-worker who had attended the WOSH Specialist class describing what the class meant to him and how he was able to use the skills he gained. The inmate explained that the class, conducted using participatory training methods, gave him the first chance he’d ever had to work in small groups to solve problems. After the class was over, he inspected his wood shop and noticed that several people were using compressed air to clean up, causing a lot of airborne dust and the potential for eye injuries. He recommended that the group sweep debris with a broom instead and now all the inmate-workers in that shop come together each day at a specific time to clean together. “I noticed how when working together to achieve a common goal, it not only became a safer place to work but prompted camaraderie as well. The results of my inspection and problem-solving are so impressive that it left me filled with pride knowing that I am now an integral part of creating a safer workplace.”
The 24-hour WOSH Specialist course is part of the state’s Worker Occupational Safety and Health Training and Education Program (WOSHTEP), which is administered by the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation, within the Department of Industrial Relations. Three programs at UC – LOHP at UC Berkeley, the Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program at UCLA, and the Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety at UC Davis – implement the program state-wide. Since its inception in 2004, WOSHTEP has trained roughly 14,000 workers through its 3-day Specialist classes and shorter awareness classes. In addition, WOSHTEP has provided trainings to 1,660 employers.
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LOHP and West Virginia University Seeking Community College Construction Programs for National Study in Safety Education
Career Technical Education (CTE) programs at the post-secondary level play an essential role in preparing new and young workers to enter the growing construction field. Because construction is a high hazard industry and new and young workers are at greater risk of injury, it is critical that students in CTE construction programs are provided with effective health and safety education.
LOHP and the Injury Control Research Center at West Virginia University are conducting a new national study on health and safety education in CTE construction programs. “This study is the first of its kind to focus on health and safety education in construction in community and technical colleges. We are counting on the knowledge and insight of dedicated administrators and faculty in post-secondary CTE programs. They will provide critical information that will help develop strategies to protect students as they enter the highly rewarding but also highly hazardous construction industry,” says Diane Bush, MPH, co-principal investigator of the study at LOHP. Research partners at West Virginia University are conducting the surveys. Results will be used to develop guidelines and policy supports for CTE instructors and administrators.
We are still seeking participants! For more information on the study or on how to participate, go to
http://lohp.org/new-cte-study
The research is funded by CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training through its National Construction Center cooperative agreement with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. It is endorsed by the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), the American Technical Education Association (ATEA), CPWR, the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), the National Council for Workforce Education (NCWE), and SkillsUSA. |
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