It has been shown that harassment and violence in the workplace can have a significant impact on the health and well-being of employees. Sufferers can experience stress, depression, low self-esteem and less job satisfaction, among other things. All of these can lead to increased absenteeism, encourage employee turnover, and create negative morale.

According to investigation since last year, women in the public sector, in tourism-related jobs (other than the restaurant sector), and in law enforcement and security services are at the highest risk of sexual harassment and violence at work. Edda Björk Þórðardóttir, assistant professor at UI, points out that "women in workplaces with shift arrangements and irregular working hours are more likely to be alone at work with potential perpetrators and therefore no witnesses to the harassment or violence. This needs to be taken into account when workplace safety is under consideration."

Managers in the tourism industry have to deal with a variety of workplace situations where it is imperative to have a strategy and contingency plan in place to create an environment that prioritizes the well-being of staff. It is also a legal obligation for employers to make a written plan for safety and health for employees. The Tourism Center of Excellence wants to make it easier for managers to implement such a plan and has therefore put it together useful educational material which is accessible to everyone at höfni.is.

Furthermore, Hæfnisetrið and the Norwegian Tourism Association offer electronic meeting October 3, where communication and well-being in the workplace will be discussed, with an emphasis on preventive measures against violence and harassment. The meeting will be streamed from Hæfnisetir's Facebook page.

The tourism industry has faced many challenges in recent years, but is regaining its previous strength as space is created to consider quality issues, education and prevention to ensure a positive and safe working environment within the tourism industry.

Article published on visir.is on September 28, 2023. The authors are Bryndís Skarphéðinsdóttir, Margrét Wendt and Ólína Laxdal, staff at the Hæfnisetur tourism.

Click here to read the article on visir.is