NoC14/4 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 20.1.92
OpiniononthedraftCommissionRecommendation ontheprotectionofthedignityof
womenandmen-atwork
(92/C14/02)
On4October1991theCommissiondecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned draftCommissionRecommendation .
TheSectionforSocial,Family,EducationalandCulturalAffairs,whichwasresponsiblefor
preparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon11october1991.
TheRapporteurwasMissMaddocks .
Atits290thplenarysession(meetingof30October1991)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionbyamajoritywith1voteagainst.
1.Generalcomments thedignityofwomenandmenatwork,butshould
alsocalluponMemberStatesseriouslytoquantifyand
monitortheestimatednumbersofcasesinvolvedin
ordertocarryoutadequatecountermeasures,andto
establishtheeffectivenessofpoliciesbeingimplemented
overathree-yearperiod.1.1.TheCommitteewelcomestheCommission's
draftandtheaccompanying CodeofPractice,whichis
broadlyinlinewiththemandateprovidedbythe
CouncilResolutionof29May1990onthe'protection
ofthedignityofwomenandmenatwork'^).The
proposalalsorightlyarguesthatunwantedconduct
affectingthedignityofwomenandmenatworkisboth
'unacceptable'and'incertaincircumstances'contrary
totheprincipleofequaltreatmentwithinthemeanings
ofArticles3,4and5ofCouncilDirective76/207/EEC.
1.2.TheCommission istobecomplemented on
havingthecouragepubliclytoassertthatsexualharass­
mentatwork'isnotanisolatedphenomenon'and
thatitcanhave'devastatingeffectsuponthehealth'
confidence,moraleandperformanceofthoseaffected
byit'.Indeedafirststepinpromotingawareness,
andinturnpreventionoftheproblem,issurelyto
demonstratehowithasbeengrosslyunderestimated
bothintermsoftheextentofpersonsadverselyaffected
andtheactualtypeofbehaviourinquestion.1.5.Thedefinitionofsexualharassmentoroffensive
conductatwork,presentedinArticle1oftheRec­
ommendationandinpoint2ofthe'codeofpractice',
correspondstothatalreadyregisteredintheCouncil
Resolutionof29May1990.Itiswholeheartedly
endorsedbytheCommittee,theemphasisclearlybeing
onthe'unwanted'natureoftheconduct,asdistinct
from'friendlybehaviourwhichiswelcomeandmutual'.
TheCommitteewouldarguethat,alongwiththisdefi­
nition,theCommissionoughttoreconsideratleast
appendingtothecodepracticalexamplesofbehaviour
whichitconsidersarecoveredbythedefinition.This
wouldbehelpfulbothforinterpretingthecodeandin
makingmanagementandworkersmoreawareofwhat
actuallyconstitutesoffensiveconductorsexualharass­
mentattheworkplace.TheCommitteewouldfurther
arguethatthismoreexpansive,ifnotexhaustive,expla­
nationwouldbehelpfultopreventionandbasictraining
policyinthisarea,aswellasfordrawingappropriate
clausesincollectiveagreements .1.3.ThisinturniswhytheCommitteeisdisap­
pointedthatthe'codeofpractice'proposedisonly
limitedtoaCommissionRecommendation .Giventhe
seriousnessandwidespreadoccurrenceofsexualhar­
assmentorofunwantedbehaviourdemeaningthedig­
nityofwomenandmenatwork,andconsideringthat
Ministershavealreadypronouncedthemselvesonthis
problem,theCommitteeconsidersthatatleasta
CouncilRecommendation isrequired,possiblyleading
atafuturestage,afterEC-widemonitoring,toamore
bindingECinstrumentregisteringanappropriate
degreeofpoliticalcommitmentandscrutiny.1.6.Itiscrucialtothewholeexercisethatafairand
even-handedapproachbeinstitutedwhencomplaints
proceduresareopened,sothattheonusofproofisnot
exclusivelybornebyeitherthecomplainantorbythe
allegedharasser.ThisiswhytheCommitteewould
onceagainurgetheCounciltoconsiderapprovingthe
long-standingCommissionproposalonmodifyingthe
burdenofproofinsexualdiscrimination cases. 1.4.Intheabovecontext,theproposaland'codeof
practice'shouldnotonlyencouragemeasurestoprotect
1.7.Finally,theCommitteeisonlytooawarethatthe
codeandpackageofsuggestedresponsibilities ,training (i)OJNoC157,27.6.1990,p.3.

20.1.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC14/5
policies,informalmeasures,counselling,officialcom­
plaintsprocedures,investigations anddisciplinary
measures,whilstallclearlynecessary,appropriateto
thesizeandstructureofundertakings ,willstillonly
touchthetipoftheiceberg.Thisisageneralsocietal
problemwhichcannotbesolvedbycodesorlegislation
alone,butbybasiceducationandsustainedcampaigns
ofpublicawareness.ThisiswhyitisvitalforMember
Statestotreattheinitiativeseriouslybothatitslaunch
stageandinmonitoringitsresultsandfindings.Itis
hopedthatclearguidancebegiventoMemberStates
astohowthisshouldbedone.Itwouldbehelpfulto
includegoodpracticethroughouttheCommunity .
1.8.TheCommitteewouldalsourgetheCom­
missiontoconsiderthewaysinwhichthecodeof
practicecanbeincludedinitson-goingworkonhealth
andsafetyattheworkplace.
2.Specificcomments
2.1.TheCommitteewouldproposethattheCom­
missiondeletethelastsentenceofthesecondparagraph
intheIntroductiontotheproposedCodeofPractice
(takingaccountof'nationalandlocalpractices').
2.2.Underpoint3oftheCode,thirdparagraph,the
Committeewouldpointoutthat'gender'isnotalways
thedeterminingfactorinwhoisharassed.Sexualorien­tationcanalsobeafactor,asarguedinpoint1of
thesameCode.TheCommissionmaywishtomake
separateprovisionforthisinviewofthefactthat
peopleharassedbypersonsofthesamesexmightnot
haveredressundertheequaltreatmentdirectiveor
MemberStates'sexdiscrimination legislation.
2.3.UnderB'Procedures',thelastsentenceofthe
firstparagraphshouldbeamendedtoread:
'Suchguidanceshould,ofcourse,drawattentionto
possiblesanctionsagainstemployeesbehavingina
sexuallydiscriminatory manner,aswellastoan
employee'slegalrightsandtoanytimelimitswithin
whichtheymustbeexercised,underexistinglegis­
lationdesignedtocombatsexualdiscrimination.'
2.4.PointBIV)oftheCode,secondparagraph
shouldbeslightlymodifiedtoallowforthecomplainant
orallegedharassertohavetherighttobe'accompanied
and/orrepresented.'
2.5.Point6oftheCodeshouldclearlystatethat
TradeUnionshaveavitalroletoplayinlaunching,
applyingandmonitoringtheCodeofPracticeatthe
workplace,togetherwithmanagement .
2.6.TheCommitteewouldrecommendthatatthe
endofArticle4oftheRecommendation ,shouldbe
added'andtomeasuretheireffectiveness'.
DoneatBrussels,30October1991.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
FrancoisSTAEDELIN