By FLORENCE ONUEGBU

Lagos State recorded no fewer than 158 cases of workplace harassment in the past one year.

The Executive Secretary, Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Lagos State, Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Vivour-Adeniyi said that 144 of the reported cases involved female victims, while 14 involved male victims.

She noted that women accounted for more than 90 per cent of the reported workplace harassment cases.

She said that there was the need for stronger preventive measures, improved workplace policies and increased awareness to encourage victims to report incidents.

Vivour-Adeniyi urged employers to establish clear anti-harassment policies, confidential reporting channels and prompt response mechanisms to ensure safe and inclusive work environments.

She also encouraged employees experiencing any form of workplace harassment to speak up and seek help through appropriate channels.

Vivour-Adeniyi said that harassment should never be tolerated in any workplace.

She reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting victims, promoting safe workplaces and collaborating with employers and other stakeholders to prevent workplace harassment across Lagos State.

Mr Jide Afolabi, Executive Secretary, Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria (EAPEAN), described workplace harassment as a widespread labour issue.

Afolabi said that workplace harassment cut across sectors and was not peculiar to workers recruited through private employment agencies.

He said that licensed private employment agencies operated under strict ethical standards designed to protect workers.

According to him, workplace harassment is often linked to weak organisational policies, poor workplace culture and inadequate reporting mechanisms rather than the mode of recruitment.

He said that agencies affiliated with EAPEAN were guided by national labour laws, international labour standards and the association’s code of conduct, which promoted decent work, dignity and respect for workers

Afolabi said that isolated cases might, however, occur, urging agencies to ensure prompt reporting and interventions.

He identified common forms of workplace harassment to include sexual harassment, verbal abuse, bullying, intimidation and discrimination.

According to him, psychological harassment, victimisation after complaint, and cyberbullying through digital communication are also common forms of workplace harassment.

“Every worker deserves to work in an environment that is safe, respectful and free from all forms of harassment,” Afolabi said.

He advised that recruitment agencies should conduct due diligence on employers, educate workers on their rights, maintain communication with deployed workers and respond promptly to their complaints.

Afolabi added that the agencies should refuse to engage employers with history of abusive labour practices, adding that they should collaborate with relevant government authorities in the case of serious violations.

He said that the association regularly sensitised agencies on fair recruitment principles, workplace safety, anti-harassment measures, and international labour standards.

He advised workers experiencing harassment to report incidents through their employers’ internal grievance mechanisms and notify the agency that facilitated their placement.

Afolabi also urged affected workers to preserve relevant evidence and escalate unresolved cases to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment or appropriate law enforcement agencies.

He said that EAPEAN had established confidential channels, through its secretariat, for workers to report complaints involving its member-agencies, adding that cases were being reviewed and referred to appropriate committees for resolution.

Afolabi said that agencies found to have ignored or concealed harassment complaints could face sanctions ranging from formal warnings and corrective measures to suspension of membership privileges and referral to regulatory authorities.

He called on employers to establish and enforce comprehensive anti-harassment policies, provide regular staff training, create effective reporting mechanisms and ensure protection against retaliation.

Afolabi reaffirmed EAPEAN’s commitment to working with governments, employers, workers’ unions and development partners to promote decent work, eliminate workplace harassment and strengthen fair recruitment practices. (NAN)