Sexual Harassment Training Workshops
In our Sexual Harassment Awareness
training workshops your employees will learn and apply
the important skills of handling sexual harassment issues
and complaints. This hands on workshop thoroughly addresses
the elements of how to
prevent unacceptable
behavior. The workshop includes a detailed
overview of what sexual
harassment is, explains legal definitions, discusses sexual
harassment prevention, and shows how to handle sexual
harassment complaints and maintain a positive work
environment.
For more information about individual sexual harassment
training workshops please complete
this form. Once the form is received one of our
consultants will provide you with a confidential proposal
that will include a detailed description of the training
workshop and the costs for conducting it.
Sexual Harassment Training:
Sexual Harassment Workshop - Inappropriate Conduct in the Workplace
Employers are finally addressing the issue of hostile or uncomfortable work environments. Increased publicity about sexual harassment and discrimination at work has provided employers with the incentive needed to educate their staff about inappropriate work conduct. Although awareness is at an all-time high, there are still incidents that remain unreported, and, thereby, unaddressed.
Determining Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Conduct
Distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate conduct in the workplace is harder for some employees than others. The determining factor is easy to grasp. If a reasonable person would be offended or uncomfortable by someone's words or actions, then it is inappropriate. This is called "the reasonable person standard." By this standard, the offender's intentions do not matter. The only important component is that someone is made uncomfortable by another person's actions.
Sexual Misconduct
While there are virtually limitless scenarios that could be deemed "inappropriate" in a workplace environment, sexual misconduct is one of the most common and most upsetting. A common misconception about sexual misconduct is that males are always the offenders and females are always the victims. This is simply not the case. The rules surrounding sexual misconduct pertain to all genders. The following scenarios constitute sexual misconduct:
• Discussion of a person's body parts or appearance. For example, comments like "wow, that sweater really compliments your curves" are inappropriate.
• Staring at a person's body parts, particularly breasts, crotches, and bottoms.
• Jokes, pictures, or hand gestures which explicitly or implicitly involve sex or sexuality
• Questions and discussions about a co-worker's marital, dating, or sexual life.
• Repeated or excessive touching
• Engaging in sexual activity with a coworker while at your place of work
Resolutions
Resolving instances of sexual misconduct can be very tricky. While many situations can be remedied by simply telling the offender that their behavior makes their coworkers uncomfortable; however, if the victim does not feel comfortable directly addressing the offender, they may report the incident to their superiors. When this occurs, an investigation should be carried out to determine the extent of harm done. Following the investigation, management should take the appropriate action to discipline the offender.
Source: Joseph Devine
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