Sexual Harassment Employee Training: 4 Reasons Why It Is Crucial

Sexual harassment employee training is being implemented by many companies to combat the harassment problem. Unfortunately, many people have experienced sexual harassment at their workplace, with common examples such as, being uncomfortable, feeling unsafe, and so on.

Sexual harassment in the workplace is a crime, and sadly, we see and hear about it all the time. Hence, training is a must to generate awareness. The company's HR department conducts this training. It aims to educate employees about the issue and the various steps an individual can take to seek a solution if such a situation arises. Such training assures that the employees' and firm's growth and environment are good, safe, and productive.

Importance of Sexual Harassment Training 

According to a survey, the most prevalent type of workplace discrimination is sexual harassment, which accounts for 50% of all complaints. 

Let's take a closer look at why sexual harassment training is so crucial for employees in a business.

Employee security: 

Employees work long hours in an organization; they spend the majority of their day in their cubicles delivering the best of their ability to help the firm flourish. Thus, it is the organization's responsibility to ensure that the employee is protected against all odds and feels as safe as at home. 

Such training ensures that the employee is protected because they are well aware of dealing with unusual situations. Any employee would not attempt to commit any such activity because they are well aware of the repercussions that would be taken against them if necessary.

Employee productivity and efficiencies:

When an employee's attention is not drawn away from their work by an unpleasant or dangerous setting, their quality of work immediately improves, and distractions are avoided. As a result, such training ensures a safer atmosphere with fewer distractions, which leads to increased staff productivity and efficiency.

Company reputation:

It is critical for a company's growth and development in society to have a high level of goodwill in any market. Sexual Harassment training ensures that unfavorable situations in a company do not occur, which could damage the company's reputation in the market and expose the company to liabilities and legal action. As a result, such training helps retain the firm's good reputation.

Increase in employee's morale:

Employees gain the confidence to speak up and fight for themselves. They are aware of such situations, which aid them in protecting themselves not only in the workplace but also in the outside world; such training improves the value of morality in employees.

Essential Elements of Sexual Harassment Training 

Let’s take a closer look at the numerous fundamental parts of this course.

Aspects to Consider:

• Harassment, discrimination, and other terms defined
• An explanation of what constitutes abusive behavior.
• Victims of harassment can seek redress.
• Several strategies may be helpful in preventing harassment and abusive behavior.

Note: The above are only a few fundamentals; sexual harassment training covers many more in-depth topics. 

Who is in Charge of This Training?

The essential aspect now is to figure out who in a company is in charge of sexual harassment training. Employers/the organization's Human Resource Department is responsible for organizing such training for employees. Typically, corporations hold workshops on sexual harassment training regularly for the welfare of employees and to ensure a safe working environment for them.

Laws Regarding Sexual Harassment Training in the USA

The strict rules that the United States of America has enacted in connection to sexual harassment training are:

• Under the law, all businesses with five or more employees must provide one hour of sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to non-supervisory employees. The same training must be provided to supervisory employees.

• The training mentioned above must be provided to employees of an organization once every two years.

• The training must cover the laws prohibiting sexual harassment and the remedies available to victims, as well as practical examples of harassment, discrimination, and information on how to prevent abusive conduct and harassment based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

• It goes into effect on January 1, 2020, and serves as an obligatory training requirement for firms to deliver to their personnel. 

Tips to Create a Harassment-Free Work Environment

Here are some critical points that every employer/organization has to ensure to make their workspace free from any sort of sexual harassment.

• The Human Resource department of every organization needs to make it clear and mandatory for every employee that sexual harassment is a crime, and the company will take stringent actions against it.
• The HR department must ensure that the company has been following the sexual harassment training module. 
• It has to make it mandatory for every individual to participate in the program and understand the various aspects of the agenda for the welfare and protection of every employee in the organization.
• In a survey by i-sight, almost three-quarters of victims said they were harassed by someone in a higher position than them. A manager was responsible for 57 percent of people quitting their jobs. A zero-tolerance policy should be maintained against those involved in such acts.
• A designated individual in the team must be appointed to whom any employee can reach out about matters related to sexual harassment. 
• There is supposed to be no delay from the company's side when any such matter is reported. The company must take action immediately, and necessary protocols must be carried out for those who have committed a crime.
• Every employee in the organization must be aware of the sexual harassment laws and policies, and most importantly, during any unfortunate and unforeseen conditions, the employee must be well aware and equipped with the resources that are being made available for their safety.
• The resources being framed must not be too complex; they should be prepared in a more straightforward way and be made available in the most accessible way.
• A proper staff welfare program must always be discussed during the review meetings. This ensures a sense of belonging and acts as a trust that the employees build with each other and the organization.
• Employers must be cautious in hiring the employees in their organization. Proper background checks of an individual with no suspicious or criminal background should be considered in the firm. The firm needs to be very careful in making the organization a safe space.
• The company must make sure to make their space a comfortable one, where an employee must not hesitate twice to seek any help from anyone in the firm during such unfortunate situations.  

In a Nutshell

Sexual harassment at a workplace is deplorable and intolerable. It leads to many issues in the personal peace of the employee and affects the work efficiency, which ultimately leads to the organization's inefficiency.

The above points and measures must be taken into action by every employer in the organization irrespective of their scale. By creating certain boundaries, stringent standards and trying to create a safe and comfortable space for every employee, all of us can be one day step by step be closer in eradicating sexual harassment from the workplaces and making them a safe and healthier environment.