This Training Isn’t Really Optional!

Have you read the news today? There’s probably another story about sexual harassment allegations. There has never been so much media attention on this issue. What does it mean for your organization?

• You have employees who have suffered harassment (sexual and other forms).
• There’s a good chance harassment has occurred during their employment with your organization.
• Employers have obligations to prevent and address incidents of harassment in their workplaces.
• Employees aren’t going to tolerate harassment going forward.
• Now is the time to make sure you’re taking appropriate steps to protect against harassment in your business.

There is no perfect solution or guaranteed way to eliminate harassment. Instead, it’s a multi-faceted issue that has to be addressed from many directions. But as a business organization with employees, you have to start somewhere.

Here are 3 basic steps all employers should take:

1. Implement a comprehensive anti-harassment policy.

2. Establish effective internal complaint and investigatory procedures.

3. Train all employees about harassment and your policies and procedures.

How can I help?

I bring an authoritative outside presence to help you convey the seriousness of this topic to your employees. Based on my experience advising employers through investigations of harassment and defending them before administrative agencies and in the courts, I have seen and heard things that most employees assume never really happen. But they do. And they are very costly in many ways: morale, productivity, mental health, physical well-being, legal fees, settlements, jury verdicts, etc.

With an average training session of about 2 hours, I show your employees what not to do and why not to do it. I also show your supervisors why they cannot ignore inappropriate behavior and emphasize their responsibility to prevent and remedy harassment.