Psychological Safety Pre-Tutorial Preparation
Memories are often the only evidence of what occurs, especially in relation to harassment, whether at the workplace or outside of it. The memory review process can severely impact the evidentiary quality of reports that we produce. In recording and reporting harassment and discrimination, Shaw points to the following elements as crucial:
Timing- contemporaneously record what happened before talking to anyone else to avoid distorting or changing the information.
Type of Evidence- use the computer or smart phone to make a note that is time-stamped, to prove that the evidence was recorded at that time, thereby providing time-stamped evidence
Relevance- keep track of the following
What happened- describe the situation happened best on that day
Who was there- evidence
Time& date
Location
Who you told
How it made you feel- during and after
Evidence- images, emails
Additionally, humans often overestimate their ability to remember important emotional details later on. Therefore, Shaw advices one to assume that they will forget crucial information later on. In the reporting process, Shaw offers a critical way of overcoming fear as having an anonymous reporting tool. TalkToSpot.com is presented as a tool that helps one to record and report workplace discrimination anonymously, for free and, it is evidence –based. It allows one to record information that is time-stamped and secured for use as evidence or in the case that one needs it later. It can also be submitted to the employer immediately. Such technologies are important as they allow employers to respond even when a victim chooses to remain anonymous. A reporting tool is only useful if the audience listening are willing to listen and change.
