Abstract:
This paper aims to examine what impedes Human Resource Professionals’ (HRPs) ability
to enact procedural justice in resolving complaints of sexual harassment by identifying the
challenges and difficulties HRPs encounter in practice. We conducted semi-structured, indepth interviews with 35 HRPs from 30 companies in Sri Lanka, employing a qualitative
research approach. We found that HRPs face numerous challenges in enacting procedural
justice. They struggle with competing demands to legally safeguard the company while also
being fair to the parties concerned. We also found that complainants, other parties connected
to the complaint, or observers can perceive HRPs as unfair even when they adhere to
procedural justice principles. Understanding these challenges will help address some of the
loopholes in complaint handling processes and highlight the need for interventions such as
training to mitigate or eliminate the challenges HRPs face in taking fairer actions.
