Recently, many incidents have been reported for workplace harassment. So, people are often doubtful before joining an organization or continuing with their jobs. As an employer, you might experience the same in your organization. The solution to this problem is workplace harassment prevention training.
The training helps the organization to comply with legal requirements and make it culturally accountable. Also, the training program teaches everything that is needed to prevent harassment in the workplace.
Things included in harassment prevention training
Sexual harassment: what and types
Many people don’t know what sexual harassment is. So, the training often begins with a clear definition of sexual harassment and its types. This helps employees to understand the constituents of harassment so that it’s easy for them to recognize and address them. The objective is to let employees know the seriousness of these issues.
Legal framework
Workplace sexual harassment is highly regulated. There are state-specific regulations defined to evaluate and address harassment cases in an organization. The training program explains all the laws so that employees know their rights and responsibilities of the organization towards them in these situations.
Policies and procedures
In every organization, there is a well-defined anti-harassment policy, which many employees are unaware of. The sexual harassment prevention training explains the policy and makes sure that employees know every detail. Usually, the policy includes reporting procedures and non-retaliation policies, helping employees to address the problem.
Signs of harassment and ways to respond
There are different ways and signs of workplace harassment. The training teaches employees to identify these signs and the right steps to respond. Some common steps to report the case are documenting incidents, reporting through designated channels and supporting the harassed colleagues.
Role of managers and supervisors
If managers and supervisors are active, the workplace becomes harassment-free. They play an important role in keeping employees safe and happy. That’s why the training emphasizes the responsibilities of the managers and supervisors, which include showing respectful behavior, addressing complaints quickly, and encouraging open communication.
Case studies and real-life examples
Sometimes, people don’t understand the depth of sexual harassment incidents in the workplace. They don’t understand the situation and feelings of the victim. So, the trainers share case studies and real-world scenarios in the training. These are powerful tools as employees better understand the nuances of harassment and the steps to respond. It’s one of the best ways to make the training engaging.
Is one-time harassment prevention training enough for employees?
No. Conducting harassment prevention training with a one-time effort isn’t enough. Your employees might forget the essentials and not be prepared to address the problem. So, you should conduct refresher training sessions to continue learning. Also, you should update training materials on your office notice board, following the latest news and trends. Most importantly, take feedback from your employees for improvement.
Bottom Line
Sexual harassment prevention training is a comprehensive approach to teaching employees how to handle this critical issue in the workplace. This is important to make the organization safe and inviting for new and existing employees. So, conduct the harassment prevention training soon in your organization, but make sure it covers all the important topics.
If you are looking for a reputable company to train your employees, contact Sexual Harassment Disciplinary.
