Sexual Harassment Training

In our Sexual Harassment Awareness training seminars 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 class 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 courses 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 seminar and the costs for conducting it.

Sexual Harassment Training: Workplace Harassment - How to Avoid & Respond To It

Harassment can be perpetrated in endless ways -- physically, verbally, non-verbally and electronically. For example:

Physical contact other than handshakes, e.g., suggestive touching or un-requested back/shoulder rubs
Blocking a person's path or following a person
Referring to someone's gender, sexuality, race, religion, national origin, ethnic group, age or disability in a derogatory or offensive way
Using stereotypes, telling demeaning jokes or stories
Looking at a person sexually or hostilely ... or staring at someone
Displaying sexually suggestive, demeaning or offensive visuals
Making suggestive or offensive gestures or facial expressions
Displaying or sending offensive computer images, emails, voicemail messages or websites
Any other behavior that has an intimidating, hostile or offensive effect

How to Avoid Harassing Others

The above listing is far from exhaustive. However, rather than attempting to memorize a list of specific words or actions, we recommend following some simple guidelines. When in doubt, ask yourself any of these five questions:

Would I say or do this in front of my spouse or mother or minister/priest/rabbi?
Would I say or do this if it were to be reported in the newspaper or on TV?
Would I say or do this to a member of my same sex, race or ethnic group in exactly the same way?
Does it follow The Golden Rule? How would I feel if done to me?
How would I feel if this were said or done to my wife, girlfriend, mother, daughter or sister?

The last one is our favorite. It transcends The Golden Rule. For example, many men would not mind if a woman were to "come on" to them. However, they probably would mind if a man were to come on to their daughter.

The phrasing, of course, is aimed at men and focuses on sexual harassment. Just make the appropriate substitutions for your gender or the nature of the behavior. For example: How would I feel if this were said or done to my son or elderly father ... or about my religion, race, ethnic group, etc.?

How to Respond to Harassment

How would you respond to harassment?

You might be tempted to do wallop the harasser. We hope, instead, that you would practice some anger management and use less violent means of expression.

In order of decreasing effectiveness, we recommend any of the following means of expressing your displeasure:

Assert yourself verbally, e.g.,

I'm not comfortable with what you're saying/doing.
Please stop that; or I don't like that.
Thank you, but no. (e.g., if asked out on a date)

Use the Navy's traffic light approach:

Red Light = STOP = That is offensive!
Yellow Light = CAUTION = That's borderline
Green Light = GO = Yes; I'm comfortable

Express yourself non-verbally, e.g.,

Turn away or walk away
Frown or shake your head

Say or do nothing (but report it immediately afterward)

If you believe any form of confrontation would escalate matters
If you are a naturally shy or quiet person.

Source: Don Grimme link