Preventing Harassment & Discrimination for Employees Course Overview
Harassment and discrimination create hostile work environments that harm employees, damage organizational reputation, and expose employers to significant legal liability. Harassment becomes unlawful when enduring offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment or when the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive. Despite legal protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and subsequent legislation, workplace harassment and discrimination remain persistent problems across industries. Employees who understand protected characteristics, recognize harassing behaviors, and know their rights and reporting obligations are essential to creating workplaces free from harassment and discrimination.
This course provides employees with comprehensive awareness of laws and issues relating to harassment, discrimination, and bullying in the workplace. Through scenarios, text, and practical guidance, employees learn to avoid discriminatory practices associated with race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, and genetic information while understanding their responsibilities for maintaining respectful workplace conduct.
Preventing Harassment & Discrimination for Employees Course Content
Lesson 1: Introduction and Objectives
Importance of harassment-free workplaces, legal framework for harassment and discrimination prevention, employer and employee responsibilities, consequences of harassment, course objectives, and organizational commitment to respectful workplace
Lesson 2: Types of Discrimination and Harassment
Protected characteristics under federal law, state and local protected characteristics, types of discrimination, sexual harassment, other forms of harassment based on protected characteristics, definition of unwelcome conduct, single severe incident vs. pervasive conduct standard
Lesson 3: Who, What, Where
Who can be a harasser, who can be a victim, what constitutes harassment, where harassment occurs, power dynamics and harassment, bystander responsibilities
Lesson 4: Preventing Harassment
Personal responsibility for professional conduct, treating coworkers with respect, avoiding assumptions based on stereotypes, being mindful of jokes and comments, respecting personal boundaries and space, obtaining clear consent before physical contact, understanding that intent doesn’t excuse impact, speaking up when witnessing inappropriate behavior, supporting coworkers who experience harassment, fostering inclusive work environment through language and behavior, cultural sensitivity and awareness
Lesson 5: Reporting Harassment
Importance of prompt reporting, organizational reporting procedures, multiple reporting channels, protection against retaliation for reporting in good faith, what information to include in report, preserving evidence, investigation process, interim measures during investigation, post-investigation outcomes and remedial actions
