Page 10 - HOH

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Saturday 21 april 2018

Unique Safety App

for the workplace

ORANJESTAD / NETHER- ees.
LANDS - The introduction
of an independent smart- How does it work?
phone application for re- The Safety App has an in-
porting unwanted and formal field, which provides
transgressive behavior in all information needed
the workplace is a fact. around workplace harass-
Medwork Aruba, an inter- ment, including formalities
national company that of- like what will happen when
fers Corporate Health Solu- I file a complaint as a victim
tions, has agreed to adapt or bystander. The personal
this application for Aruba, and secured area of the
Curacao, St. Eustatius, Saba application is the field were
and Bonaire. The Safety the reporting takes place
App will be launched by and where employees can
the foundation that will fully document the incidents of
commit to a sustainable the harassment itself, what
work environment for em- type and form, when it
ployees. happened, by whom, any
witnesses, etc. This informa-
The idea for this App start- tion can be used as burden
ed in 2015 by the founder of proof for the investiga-
of the organization About tion when necessary. The
Workplace Harassment reporting employee can
(AWM), Karin Bosman from choose what kind of sup-
The Netherlands. She was port is needed. The follow-
inspired by her own experi- up is always handled by the
ence with reporting sexual right persons of assistance
harassment and after two and medical/ confidential
and half years of research advisors, service agencies
she proudly announces (external) or health & safe-
that the development of ty services. Integrity and
this international applica- safety is guaranteed, be-
tion has started. cause the employer has no
influence on the complaint
Protection procedure and the report-
The Safety App aims to ing employees are always
create a safe and healthy in charge.
workplace for all employ-
ees, and offers the possi- Two-folded
bility to report unwanted The purpose of the Safety
behavior directly to the App is dual, first the em-
organization/ person who ployers will inform their em-
can provide the report- ployees about workplace completely anonymous.
ing employee (notifier/ harassment and how to With a sustainable work
reporter) with customized file a complaint about un- environment organizations
advice and help. Not one wanted behavior, and with will lower their costs on sick
case of harassment stands this they create a safe and leave, staff turn-over and
on its own. Besides that, healthy work environment. productivity.
the Safety App informs em- Secondly this Safety App The unique Safety App is
ployees about what (un) will help employers by de- available in all possible lan-
wanted and transgressive fining the risk areas and fac- guages, for the Caribbean
behavior is, how to define tors of their organization. this will be Papiamento,
it (forms and areas), rec- With a yearly or 6 months English, Spanish and Dutch.
ognize it and respond to it. advisory report about the
With sharing accessible in- types and forms of the Breaking Taboos
formation about this topic complaints handled via the For Karin, it all started with
and the consequences of Safety App, employers can a personal experience of
non-responding to the ha- anticipate and improve (sexual) workplace harass-
rassment, the App also cre- their implemented harass- ment.
ates more awareness and ment policy. Needless to
resilience among employ- say, is that these reports are Continued on Page 14