Start-ups set sexual harassment, discrimination code of conduct

A tech industry-wide code of conduct will ban sexually suggestive jokes and advances where there is a significant power imbalance.

Blackbird Ventures partner Samantha Wong. Source: Supplied.

Australia’s start-up and venture capital community has moved to stamp out sexual harassment and discrimination, creating an industry-wide code of conduct.

The code, announced today, is the result of rare collaboration between Australia’s leading venture capital outfits including Blackbird Ventures, Startmate, Airtree Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Rampersand and Blue Sky Venture Capital, who worked with San Francisco-based diversity and inclusion expert Valerie Aurora.

They’re each adopting the code from today and are encouraging the rest of the start-up community to do the same.

“Many people from minority groups have been victims of the behaviour listed in the code,” Square Peg Capital co-founder Paul Bassat said in a blog post. “Seeing it spelled out sends a strong signal that they are welcome and safe in your organisation or community.

“We have created the code because it is essential for organisations to have clear processes something goes wrong, so no one finds themselves out of their depth and without any guidance. When you don’t know what to do, you may do nothing. This is the danger the code protects against.”

The tech industry last year experienced a number of highly publicised alleged incidents of sexual harrasment, including by 500 Startups co-founder Dave McClure and Binary Capital’s Justin Caldbeck, among others.

The code covers both online and offline interactions, and defines sexual harassment as any unwanted, unwelcome or uninvited behaviour of a sexual nature which a reasonable person in the circumstances would find humiliating, intimidating or offensive.

“Sexual harassment doesn’t have to be repeated or ongoing,” the code says. “Sexual harassment takes many forms, from sexual comments to actual physical violence.”

Examples listed include sexual or sexually suggestive comments, jokes, insults, metaphors, pranks or gestures; discussing the sexual attractiveness or exploits of yourself or others, even if intended to be a compliment; unsolicited comments on someone’s body to them or to others, even if intended to be a compliment; meeting in sexualised environments (for example strip clubs, dance clubs, pick-up bars); and organising business-related activities which require less or no clothing (for example meeting in hot tubs or saunas, throwing company pool parties).

The code also bans sexual advances when they are clearly unwelcome, or in a context where it is difficult for the recipient to say no to the advances.

“Specifically, this code of conduct bans all sexual advances initiated by a person with significant power over the recipient, such as a person who influences funding decisions towards a person seeking funding, a conference organiser towards a speaker, or a co-worker towards another co-worker if they have influence over their career advancement,” the code says.

“We strongly recommend that people in positions of greater power turn down sexual advances from someone they hold significant power over.”

Examples listed include unsolicited sharing of intimate information (for example, “my wife and I barely have sex,” “don’t have kids, it kills your sex life”) or implying sexual availability (for example, “my wife will be out of town,” “I get lonely in my hotel room”).

In Square Peg’s case, a code of conduct committee has been formed to deal with any breaches, with actions ranging from nothing to a termination of employment and report to legal authorities. It covers not just employees but event attendees and co-working tenants, and other community members.

Blackbird Ventures partner Samantha Wong said since her firm’s first training session with Sally-Ann Williams at Google two years ago, Blackbird had been aiming to learn more about unconscious bias.

“We have been working to improve diversity and inclusion in our investments, to remove unconscious bias in hiring through the use of tools like Applied, by offering female student internships and by supporting kids from lower socio-economic areas pursue interests in STEM,” she said.

“Having a diverse and inclusive organisation is both the right thing to do and will lead to better investment outcomes over time.”

According to Mr Bassat, outstanding work does not happen where harassment of any kind happens.

“With the creation and adoption of this code, we are proud to reaffirm our commitment to building safe and healthy communities that are diverse and inclusive,” he said.

“We hope all organisations adopt the code.”