It is important for staff who have leadership and management roles and may be the first point of contact for a staff or student concerned about sexual harassment to familiarize themselves with the University's policy and procedure against sexual harassment and take practical steps in your workplace or learning environment to prevent sexual harassment and create a supportive atmosphere.

As a supervisor or manager, you can make a difference:

To promote and maintain an atmosphere that discourages sexual harassment, some simple steps may include:

Supervisors and managers should offer assistance in case you are approached by a staff or student who has a concern, problem or complaint in relation to sexual harassment for help or advice. Whenever necessary, you may seek advice from the designated officers of the Panel Against Discrimination and Sexual Harassment as soon as possible about how to handle the case. The current designated officers are:

In any case in which a complaint is raised that may disclose an issue of sexual harassment, the staff or student concerned should be advised to refer the matter to the Panel Against Discrimination and Sexual Harassment. The designated officers of the Panel Against Discrimination and Sexual Harassment will provide support and advice about the University's mechanism and options for dealing with allegations or complaints of sexual harassment. It is important for supervisors and managers to maintain strict confidentiality with regard to any complaints about sexual harassment in accordance with existing University policies and applicable laws.

Supervisors and managers at all levels play an important role in encouraging a positive workplace and learning environment. If something observed that is in breach of the University's policy, you should act to stop it. You may:

Sexual harassment can take a variety of forms. Any sex-related language, action or physical contact that is unwelcome may constitute sexual harassment. A sexually hostile environment will also constitute sexual harassment which takes place in the form of an environment where there are actions, language or pictures that makes a person feel sexually threatened or harassed.

Sexual harassment does not have to be intentional or aimed at any particular subject and may be explicit or implicit. Sexual harassment may occur between persons of the same sex or opposite sex. The unwelcome behaviour needs not be repeated or continuous. A single incident may be sufficient to constitute sexual harassment.

The following are some examples of sexual harassment acts:

More examples of sexual harassment can be found from the Committee website at policy-harass.cuhk.edu.hk/en-gb/training-events/video-sharing.

The University has procedures to deal with allegations or complaints of sexual harassment and to provide proper redress if and when sexual harassment occurs.

There are three stages to the complaints procedures:

Stage 1 Advising and Early Resolution
Stage 2 Conciliation
Stage 3 Formal Investigation

Stages 1 and 2 are both informal procedures. The staff/student concerned may elect to bypass conciliation and proceed directly with formal investigation.

Stage 1 Advising and Early resolution

The staff/student concerned may contact a designated officer of the Panel Against Discrimination and Sexual Harassment for advice and support. The designated officer will address his/her concern with a view to clarifying the concern and discussing options available to resolve the complaint.

Stage 2 Conciliation

Conciliation is a voluntary process. It will only be arranged where both the complainant and the complainee are willing to be conciliated. If the parties reach a settlement, the agreement signed by the parties is legally binding. Under normal circumstances, attempts at conciliation do not require the filing of a written complaint.

The Panel Against Discrimination and Sexual Harassment will offer to facilitate conciliation of a dispute upon request of the complainant or the complainee.

Stage 3 Investigation

Investigation is a formal procedure. If the complainant wishes the University to initiate an investigation into an act of sexual harassment, he/she should file a written complaint with the Panel Against Discrimination and Sexual Harassment.

Further information about formal procedures for investigation is set out in the University's policy against sexual harassment which can be downloaded from the Committee website at http://policy-harass.cuhk.edu.hk/en-gb/resource-corner/download.