The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s definition of sexual harassment is “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.” When most people think about sexual harassment, they envision a supervisor offering or withholding benefits to an employee as part of a “negotiation” for sexual relations. This is what is known as “quid pro quo” sexual harassment. While this scenario is what visually comes to mind, it is rarely the case. Sexual harassment is not usually about sex; it is about power.
Sexual harassment can occur both in relationships of unequal power (between supervisor and employee) and in relationships of equal power (between colleagues on the same level within a company). Though most victims of sexual harassment are women, men can also be victims of sexual harassment. In addition, both women and men can be offenders. Sexual harassment is a form of gender discrimination involving unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature which interferes with the work of others. Sexual harassment violates state and federal laws and can result in disciplinary action, including termination, for offenders.
Incorporating a sexual harassment training program is essential to the well being of a business. Training managers and supervisors to recognize and deal with sexual harassment effectively and quickly can provide a safer, more secure work environment for the employees. Employees who feel safe and who do not use their time worrying about being sexually harassed will be more productive for the company.
A sexual harassment training course can teach managers to recognize the early signs of sexual harassment, effectively giving them the tools and training they need to prevent the behavior before it gets out of control and leads to expensive lawsuits. Providing sexual harassment prevention training helps managers and employees alike understand the differences between federal and state laws.
The vital importance of creating a safe work environment cannot be stressed enough. The employer is responsible and liable for sexual harassment conducted by its supervisors and managers. Training will teach managers the knowledge and skills needed to recognize sexual harassment, how to effectively handle sexual harassment situations, eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace, and potentially avoid litigation. Companies are spending large amounts of money to pay for sexual harassment lawsuits, including litigation and defense costs as well as any monetary damages that might be awarded. Though nobody can prevent a sexual harassment lawsuit from being filed, a company can take actions to protect itself from a claim being filed. Some simple actions include: providing employees sexual harassment training, ensuring that the training has the correct provisions stated in the company handbook, hanging sexual harassment posters in common areas and providing all employees sexual harassment pamphlets on a regular basis.
