You Don't Need Two Policies for Sexual Misconduct

Many organizations still separate sexual harassment and SEA into different policy tracks. One is managed through HR. The other through safeguarding. But in practice, this split creates confusion and harm. It does not reflect how misconduct occurs, and it does not reflect how survivors experience it.

A sexual assault between staff may be treated as “harassment” simply because of workplace location and individuals involved. When a community member is harassed by staff, there may be no policy coverage at all unless the behavior qualifies as exploitation or abuse or harassment is given a wide scope. These distinctions are not harmless. They shape outcomes, determine access to protection, and define how seriously a case is taken.

We do not need two policies. We need one sexual misconduct policy that reflects the harm, not the identity of the victim or the setting of the misconduct.

When misconduct is filtered through two policy tracks, classification often overrides reality. The first question becomes, “Was the victim staff or a beneficiary?” instead of “What happened, and how serious was the harm?” That shift changes everything.