AWARE applauds BooksActually women for coming forward, temporarily suspends partnership

AWARE said the allegations made by the women are "credible".

Low Jia Ying | September 28, 2021, 06:39 PM

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The Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) said they find the allegations made by BooksActually's former employees against Kenny Leck to be "credible".

In response to Mothership's queries, Shailey Hingorani, head of research and advocacy at AWARE, applauded the women for the "tremendous courage" it took to come forward with their stories.

On Saturday (Sep. 25), former female employees at BooksActually revealed in a an exposé that Leck had harassed and withheld pay from them.

Leck has denied some of the allegations and inferences in the exposé.

"Understandable" that women took time to come forward

Hingorani added that she could understand why the women took a while to come forward with their allegations:

"Experiences of this nature - involving abuse of power, manipulation and grooming of young and vulnerable persons - can be extremely hard for victim-survivors to parse, and it’s understandable why many of them took a while to process their interactions with Leck."

She added that it can be even more difficult for such women to go public about workplace sexual harassment, as they may fear the long-term professional repercussions to their careers.

She said: "Indeed, the women who have spoken up against Leck did mention that he would declare himself powerful enough to ruin their careers in the arts industry."

A survey conducted by AWARE and Ipsos earlier in 2021 found that only 3 in 10 workers who had experienced sexual harassment chose to file an official report.

Allegations indicate "multiple types of abuse"

Hingorani also highlighted Leck's ex-wife Renee Ting's account in particular, and said that her experiences included domestic violence.

"Leck was not just her boss but her husband, and he took steps to isolate her from her family - a common hallmark of domestic abuse," she said.

Ting alleged that Leck would speak badly of her sisters, which led her to distance herself from them.

Hingorani also said the accounts from other former employees also involve "unfair labour practices and exploitation", where Leck reportedly withheld or delayed salaries and deprived staff of designated breaks during the day.

"All in all, this is a situation where multiple types of abuse were compounded by a person at the intersection of many forms of privilege," added Hingorani.

Need for legislation against workplace harassment in Singapore

The BooksActually case "drives home" the need for national legislation that specifically targets workplace harassment in Singapore, said Hingorani.

Legislation should go beyond the scope of existing criminal laws and the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA), as this would place a legal obligation on employers to prevent and address harassment in their workplaces, she added.

AWARE temporarily suspends partnership with BooksActually

When asked whether AWARE would reassess its relationship with BooksActually, Hingorani said that her organisation is temporarily suspending their partnership with the book store for membership benefits.

Previously, members of AWARE would receive discounts to BooksActually's online store.

She added: "We may reassess our relationship after confirming with their new team that policies and procedures to address and prevent workplace harassment are in place."

Women with similar experiences can contact AWARE for support

Hingorani said women who have experienced something similar to the women associated with Leck can call AWARE's Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC).

She said: "It can be difficult to understand if something you have experienced constitutes sexual violence, especially in the face of societal pressure to 'not overreact'."

The SACC Helpline is operated by trained volunteers and staff who can help "make sense" of what these women have gone through, and help them decide on their next steps.

AWARE also runs a Workplace Harassment and Discrimination Advisory (WHDA), a free and confidential service providing advice and support -- both practical and emotional -- to individuals facing discrimination or harassment at the workplace.

The WHDA, said Hingorani, can help guide individuals through their various options, such as approaching their company's HR, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), or filing a mediation request with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM).

According to AWARE, WHDA saw more than 100 cases involving workplace harassment, including sexual harassment and bullying in 2020.

SACC Helpline: 6779 0282 (Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm)

WHDA: 6950 9191 (Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm) or email [email protected]

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Top photos via AWARE/FB and Kenny Leck/LinkedIn