Monthly Archives: June 2021

Your Guide to Preventing Sexual Harassment At Work

Our time from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. belongs to others. Our time is shared with customers, clients, coworkers, and colleagues. We don’t always have control over how we spend it – or with whom we spend it. However, sexual harassment in the workplace is something that should always be under our control, regardless of our profession, gender, position, or even the time of day. No one has the time, energy, or patience for workplace sexual misbehavior, and no one should.

Unfortunately, workplace sexual harassment is more common than we’d like to admit. However, there is some good news. Companies in California and other states are increasingly recognizing the necessity of an online sexual harassment prevention training program that covers subjects such as:

• Harassment and discrimination aimed at both supervisors and non-supervisory
• Inclusion and diversity.
• Bias management.
• Intervention by a bystander

We understand that employees may find themselves in situations where the line between what is and isn’t suitable is blurred at any given time. Even the best corporate ethics or sexual harassment prevention training won’t be able to prepare everyone for every eventuality. However, sexual harassment awareness and education, particularly in terms of prevention, must begin somewhere. And it has to begin right now.

What is Sexual Harassment in the Workplace?

Any unsolicited sexual conduct on the job that creates an intimidating, offensive, or hostile work environment is defined as sexual harassment. The following types of sexual harassment in the workplace are prohibited:

• Verbal harassment: Making or utilizing insulting remarks, slurs, or jokes.
• Sexual solicitations or offers are made verbally.
• Sexually derogatory remarks against customers or coworkers.
• Explicit sexual language and/or humor.
• In order to keep their job, they must engage in any form of sexual activity.
• In order to keep their job, they must engage in any form of sexual activity.
• Leering, making sexual gestures, presenting suggestive objects or photographs, cartoons, or posters.
• Movements that are touched, assaulted, impeded, or blocked.
• Providing job benefits in exchange for sexual favors.
• Making or threatening retaliation in response to a negative response to sexual advances.

Anyone can be a harasser or be sexually harassed, but neither should be the case.

Legally Speaking, Who Is Liable for What?

In most situations of sexual harassment, employers are held liable. Every state has its own set of statutes and regulations surrounding workplace discrimination and sexual harassment, but as a general rule, these are some generally promoted criteria that businesses should follow:

• Employers must take all necessary precautions to avoid discrimination and harassment.
• Employers are required to put a poster provided by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing somewhere in the workplace (i.e. break room, above the copier, restroom).
• Employers must assist in ensuring a sexually harassment-free workplace by providing employees with sexual harassment awareness information, such as:
  • Sexual harassment is illegal.
  • The legal definition of sexual harassment is defined by state and federal statutes.
  • A description of sexual harassment, as well as examples.
  • The employee has access to the employer’s internal complaint mechanism.
  • Outside agencies’ legal remedies and complaint procedures, as well as contact information for those agencies.
  • The retaliation safeguards are accessible.

Ways to Prevent Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

1) Sexual Harassment Prevention Training

Implementing an online sexual harassment prevention training program is the most practical strategy to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. A well-designed training program can be a strong first step toward preventing sexual harassment in the workplace, or, at the very least, minimizing damage if harassment occurs despite your best prevention efforts.

The overall goal of any sexual harassment prevention training is to ensure that your entire workforce is on the same page when it comes to harassment. After all, fighting sexual misbehavior in the workplace is much easier when everyone is on the same page. Employees are more likely to feel comfortable and safe at work if they understand what is expected of them — and what is expected of management in return. A happy employee will also benefit the general morale and cohesiveness of your firm, as well as your finances.

Because not all sexual harassment prevention training courses are made equal, what should you bear in mind when adopting one in your organization? Here are a couple of ideas:

Illustrate your point

Including examples and pictures in your sexual harassment awareness training will accomplish the following:

• Allow employees to concentrate on the substance rather than on out-of-date or cheesy performance.
• Create more customizable choices. For example, you can provide culturally relevant, branded training that is in line with your company’s culture.
• Make it easier to update material on a regular basis and keep it compliant with state standards.

Frequency

At least once a year, every organization should conduct an online sexual harassment prevention training course for all employees. Your staff should be able to answer questions like these at the end of your workshop:

• What exactly is workplace sexual harassment?
• What are the rights of employees?
• What is the company’s complaint procedure, and how do you go about following it?

Supervisory and management training sessions should be held separately from non-supervisory training sessions. They should be required at least once a year to train managers and supervisors on sexual harassment and how to deal with complaints as a supervisor.

Relevance

威而鋼
tyle=”text-align: justify;”>All of your training materials should reflect your company’s identity and tone. A huge industrial factory may not confront the same concerns and challenges as a corporate environment. Information will be processed differently by millennials and baby boomers. If you work for a multinational corporation, there may be nuances that get lost in translation if you’re not careful. If employees can relate to the information and examples presented in sexual harassment prevention training, they are more likely to comprehend what is required of them.

2) Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedure

An official complaint mechanism is another crucial component for preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. Employees should be informed about the sexual harassment complaint system, and they should be encouraged to report any unwelcome or inappropriate behavior. Once a complaint has been lodged, it is the employer’s responsibility — and culpability — to take prompt and reasonable measures to end the harassment.

These steps could include the following:-

• Providing the complaint with a complete understanding of his or her rights.
• Investigate the claim thoroughly and effectively.
• If harassment is confirmed, immediate and effective retaliation is required.

3) Awareness

Finally, leadership must be seen rather than merely heard. Employees will develop a favorable impression of upper management as approachable and familiar as a result of your presence in the workplace, and they will be aware that you are watching them. This will help you to keep an eye on things that you may not be able to see or hear while your door is closed. Do you notice any symptoms of workplace wrongdoing or a hostile work environment? Is there any verbal harassment going on at work? Maintain open channels of communication with your staff by asking for their thoughts, ideas, and suggestions on how to improve the workplace on a regular basis.

As the pervasive issue of sexual harassment continues to dominate the news, one of the most frequently asked issues is whether managers and supervisors should receive separate training from employees. Though not everyone agrees, there are certainly compelling arguments for keeping employee and manager/supervisor training distinct. Here are a few reasons why many individuals prefer them to be distinct, as well as a rundown of what both sessions might cover.

Why Should Harassment Training Be Separate?

Previously, organizations with 50 or more employees were required to provide at least two hours of sexual harassment prevention training to supervisors/managers every two years. However, far smaller enterprises, including those with five or fewer employees, will now be required to provide training for both supervisors and employees. Supervisors and managers will require two hours of training, while employees will need just one hour. And the topic of each session must be unique.

Managers, according to the new rules, require extra training—and information that differs from what ordinary employees receive—because they wield so much power in the company. In reality, they have the capacity to both help establish a healthier culture in the firm and to produce an unhealthy, unsafe work environment. In either case, employees look to them for guidance and advice on how to deal with problems at work.

Managers and supervisors are leaders, and as such, they have more obligations than the rest of the workforce. This is why firms who want to prevent sexual harassment at work should not simply provide them with the same training as the rest of the team. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will offer two harassment prevention courses, one of which is aimed primarily at managers. Organizations should seek additional anti-harassment training courses in order to have the most peace of mind. For organizations of all sizes, Inspired eLearning offers a comprehensive range of anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training.

What Should Management Training Focus On?

So, how should managers/supervisors’ sexual harassment training differ from that of their employees? First and foremost, it should concentrate on how to build a healthy work environment, which should involve improved leadership and communication in the workplace. It should also cover how to recognize and respond to sexual harassment.

This training should also cover how to handle sexual harassment allegations in the workplace. There should be a defined protocol in place so that managers and supervisors know exactly what to do when a problem arises. The training should also cover the risks of ignoring the problem and allowing the harassment to continue.

In addition, sexual harassment training for managers and supervisors must highlight the reality that harassment accusations can expose a corporation to litigation. This should serve as a reminder to managers of the necessity of dealing with complaints as soon as possible rather than ignoring them or delaying reporting them. They may be more likely to take this issue seriously if they know they could be in trouble and the company could be sued.

What Should Employee Harassment Prevention Training Teach?

Employee training, on the other hand, should include how to report sexual harassment in the workplace. Employees must also understand what constitutes harassment in order to recognize it and ensure that they are not the perpetrators. Employees may not recognize that their comments or actions are inappropriate in the workplace in some situations, and training can help solve this problem by educating them on how to behave professionally and respectfully at work.

Some businesses may attempt to save money by simply training managers and supervisors while leaving employees out. However, this is a mistake, because ensuring that employees know how to report harassment in the workplace is an important component of reducing it. When they don’t know what steps to take, they’re less likely to inform management, allowing the problem to persist and possibly worsen.

Finally, the fundamental rationale for separating sexual harassment training for managers/supervisors and employees is that the two groups must approach the subject of harassment from distinct angles. While they must both learn to recognize harassment and avoid being the source of it, their roles in the reporting process are distinct and must be taught accordingly.