( ENSPIRE Community Spotlight ) Digital Platform Designed to Change the Unjust Normalized Workforce Pathology
ENSPIRE Contributor: Aishwarya Suresh
Cruising on autopilot is a feeling many of us know. We may find ourselves navigating life through planners of to-do lists and reminder notifications, justifying it as a necessary tool of productivity and order. Those of us who find our paths regulated by checkboxes, dictating life through meeting and deadline markers, may also remember moments of confusion and distress even among that structure. When that disturbance comes from conflict arising due to unhealthy and inappropriate work dynamics, it can lead to what Jana Morrin describes as “a cyclical rollercoaster of provocation, stress, and disruption.”
It was on a normal day, following her daily commute, that Morrin found she could not recall what her family or close friends’ lives were like. As noted by her team, “it was the first time she’d faced the reality of how the past six months had fundamentally changed her personality and nearly every part of her life.” Now as the CEO and co-founder of Speakfully, Morrin has dedicated a part of the platform blog taking her readers through a seven-part series of her experience with emotional and psychological harassment; a look into her personal life, and the beginning notes that led to the founding of her platform Speakfully. Speakfully works to be a place for every person seeking a psychologically safe environment through guidance on how to begin documenting, reporting and building a system of support resources in connection to workplace harassment.
A larger movement for building a safer workspace has shown reports by the Kapor Center for Social Impact and the Ford Foundation stating, “78 percent of employees reported experiencing some form of unfair behavior or treatment, while 85 percent witnessed or observed unfair behavior or treatment in their previous company.” Findings by Edison Research conclude that 21 percent “of Americans say they have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.” Speakfully hopes that by adding to the overall dialogue and having an honest space for combatting and progressing talks on workplace harassment, these concerns will no longer be overshadowed by manipulation beneficial to hierarchical work structures.
Looking specifically at how to support the nuanced concerns of individuals, human resource departments, and leadership in the best way possible, Speakfully provides different packages to meet needs and publicize the benefits of long-term implementation of Speakfully methodology. Morrin and her platform understand that empowering and supporting people who have experienced harassment and educating institutions to eradicate the problem as a whole are both key components to the fight against workplace harassment. Individuals can sign up for free and begin the process of documenting issues through logs, which once completed, can be exported to personal files or personally shared with their human resources department. During the process of writing logs, individuals can access a catalog of support resources by Speakfully. The team package offers different prices, including custom pricing, including real-time data and analytics, and personalized support depending on the specific areas of impact that a company or organization hopes to make.
Look out for more valuable resources at Speakfully’s blog and website. Additional information from cited resources can be found at Edison Research and Educational Benefits.
