Ministry of Economy and Industry | Directorate General of Labor

ANNUAL SUMMARY REPORT 2021

Regulation

Preventing Sexual Harassment

The issue of sexual harassment is an extremely complex one which requires special sensitivity, especially when dealing with female foreign workers. The Commissioner's Unit presented its view of the causes contributing to this phenomenon at the Knesset: The first cause is the inbuilt weakness of female foreign workers who are dependent on their employer for their livelihood, accommodation, and continued stay in Israel. In other cases, these workers are also reliant on the employer's family and are therefore, more vulnerable. The second factor is social isolation. Working in the home of a patient in need of constant nursing care or in isolated workplaces may increase the vulnerability of a female foreign worker who lacks any real ability to move to another employer. The third factor is lack of knowledge of the law and their rights. Foreign women workers sometimes tend to think that because they are unfamiliar with Israeli law, harmful behavior by the employer is not considered a criminal offense. The option of submitting a complaint entails a further difficulty stemming from limited proficiency inHebrew and English. All the above is compounded by yet another difficulty – reluctance to report sexual harassment. A foreign female worker's economic dependence on her employer, and the fear of disrupting her daily lifestyle, directly impacts her considerations when deciding to report sexual harassment. 1. Publication of a letter to female foreign workers in the agriculture sector about separate accommodation: this letter re-emphasized the regulations obligating employers in the agriculture sector regarding separate accommodation for men and women. The letter was translated into Thai to make the information accessible to female workers arriving fromThailand andwas shared on social media and with all relevant parties. 2. Formulation and publication of a letter about the phenomenon of sexual harassment among women working in the caregiving sector: the letter was distributed in three languages – Hebrew, English, and Russian – and includes information on acts defined as sexual harassment and abuse. The letter emphasizes the complexity involved in handling and reporting sexual harassment in the caregiving sector and therefore contains information about the organizations a worker can contact in the event of sexual harassment. The letter also details the roles of the bureaus connected to the prevention and handling of sexual harassment in the workplace. 3. A study on sexual harassment and violence against caregivers: following the annual seminar held in July by the Unit together with the Ruppin Academic Center, it was decided to conduct an in-depth study of the ramifications of this phenomenon on female caregivers. The study, on sexual harassment and violence against female caregivers, began in January 2022 and is expected to conclude in September 2022. The chief researcher is Dr. Debbie Babis. This is the first study of its kind examining female workers in the caregiving sector with the aim of evaluating the scope of this phenomenon. Eight queries about sexual harassment were submitted to the Unit in 2021. To eradicate the phenomenon, the Unit adopted several steps:

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