Prevent Workplace Harassment With Training

Workplace harassment is a common theme in any company. Harassment, though illegal, seems to easily slip into all workplaces, both big and small. These situations can vary from mildly uncomfortable to downright dangerous. No matter the degree, workplace harassment is illegal and can create unsafe, unproductive work environments. When harassment is allowed, employees will experience anxiety, fear, and a lack of productivity.

What is Workplace Harassment?

Workplace harassment is any unwelcome behavior that occurs in the workplace or during work hours. With the huge push for remote work, harassment can occur over zoom, chats, or online. Harassment can come in the form of unwanted comments, jokes, touching, gestures, or even emails. These behaviors can arise due to someone’s gender, race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or disability.

The harassment can come from the victim’s supervisor or other management, a coworker, or even a non-employee. Anyone can claim harassment, even if the action was not aimed at the victim. If comments or actions are making anyone uncomfortable, they can report the harassment. Harassment should be reported by anyone feeling victimized by the behavior or anyone witnessing the behavior.

Harassment is illegal if the behavior creates a hostile, abusive, or intimidating work environment or if the employee must continue to endure the behavior to remain employed. Legal action can be taken against the company or an individual if these terms are met. Employers can be held liable if they knew about the harassment and did not take action. The EOC outlines the laws around harassment in the workplace at https://www.eeoc.gov/harassment.

Harassment is a huge concern and can lead to violence in the workplace, lack of employee satisfaction, and monetary losses. Many employees who suffer from workplace harassment claim to feel unsafe, lose productivity, and sometimes quit.

How Can I Stop It?

The best tool to eliminate harassment is prevention. You can prevent workplace harassment by creating harassment prevention initiatives, participating in harassment programs, and addressing harassment concerns quickly.

• Create Harassment Policies

Harassment policies should be clear and relevant to your workplace environment. When writing your harassment policies, it helps to explain all types of harassment and situations that could arise. When writing your policy, it is helpful to contact your legal team to ensure all areas are thoroughly covered. The company policy should include the reporting process and how to handle complaints.

• Participate in Harassment Training

When training your employees for harassment, it needs to pertain to all levels of the company. Some training will offer training for employees and management. Don’t cater your training to just your management team, or hourly employees. Everyone should be thoroughly trained to handle these situations. Some programs, like these anti-harassment training, provide options for both management and lower-level employees. Providing training for all levels can help ensure that proper protocols are being followed throughout the company. This training should be made accessible to everyone, and mandatory for all employees. Interactive online training programs are making these more accessible to everyone.

• Create an Open Line of Communication

Providing your employees a safe place to voice their concerns or report any incidents is essential to preventing and eliminating harassment. Most workplace harassment that goes unreported does so because employees feel unsafe or uncomfortable reporting it. When harassment goes unreported, it is likely to escalate or continue. When employees have a safe place to report these crimes, those behaviors are more likely to stop. Management and HR departments should be safe places to report these incidents; however, providing an anonymous option can help employees who are too afraid or embarrassed to report. Ensure that your employees feel comfortable using the communication methods for any harassment experienced by themselves or other employees.

Safe work environments take the participation of everyone involved. Providing the policies and harassment training is only one part of your job as the employer. The most important role you can take on is to support your employees and enforce the policies. When upper management does not provide support for the victim, they will find it hard to feel safe in their workplace.

It is the role of the employer to ensure their workplace is safe for everyone. When you don’t keep your workplace safe, employees will become unproductive, hostile, and discontent. An unhealthy work environment can start to influence your productivity and morale. It can also lead to legal action taken against your company. This article gives more tips for preventing harassment in your company. Prevention is the best way to avoid harassment in the workplace. However, swift and just action can keep the workplace feeling safe for all your employees.