Sexual Harassment Training Benefits Everyone

Imagine running a company that has no trouble getting its brand in front of the right people and keeping its team motivated. Your sales numbers also reach and often exceed your target metrics.

However, you can't seem to keep your workplace culture in check. Problems like these are why around 20% of US small businesses fail within their first year.

Maintaining a harassment-free workplace is essential, and this is especially true concerning sexual harassment. Sexual harassment in the workplace training goes a long way toward preventing your facility from becoming a hostile environment. Let's explore the key information you need to know about the benefits it provides.

Risk Mitigation

This is one of the most important attributes to consider. Proper sexual harassment training goes a long way toward minimizing risk in the workplace.

Consider a scenario where your organization didn't provide any training at all. The total number of incidents would strongly increase. It's important to note that this occurrence isn't always due to malice.

Some people genuinely don't understand what qualifies as harassment. To clarify, an employee at your company could be prone to making inappropriate comments or gestures without understanding they're harassing other people.

Improved Employee Morale

When you establish a safe workplace for your employees, you will substantially improve their morale. This will make them far more productive since they'll enjoy working each day. It will also make them less likely to look for other opportunities elsewhere.

There are few things worse than losing a key employee to a competitor. Not only does this give your industry competition an advantage, but you'll also have to spend the time and resources finding a new candidate.

Compliance

Regardless of the industry you work in, there are compliance standards you'll need to meet. Infringement upon these can have dire consequences, such as dealing with expensive fines and fees.

There's also something to be said about the damage to your company's reputation. Consider a scenario where your workplace is portrayed by the media as being rife with sexual harassment.

There's a good chance workers won't apply to your company, customers won't buy products, and other businesses won't partner with you. This can cause a variety of negative outcomes, such as being unable to scale your business.

Implementing sexual harassment training will convey that you're doing what you can to make your workplace a safe environment. If sexual harassment occurs, you might not be to blame.

Minimize the Chance of Legal Action

Many companies overlook how detrimental it would be for them to have legal action taken by an employee. Not only will they have to pay for legal fees, but there's a chance a judge will award a major settlement to the plaintiff.

Major lawsuits will also garner media attention, illuminating your company in a negative light. By conducting the proper training, you'll substantially minimize the chance of someone taking legal action against you.

Types of Sexual Harassment

It's essential to understand the different types of sexual harassment so you can recognize them in the workplace. Doing so will help you prevent this behavior and take action if it occurs. Listed below are some of the most notable.

Verbal Harassment

This is the most common type of sexual harassment in workplaces. For example, it can include inappropriate or lewd comments about someone's appearance.

Even if the perpetrator doesn't intend to make the victim uncomfortable, they can still have an intense psychological impact. This is especially true for people who have suffered trauma in the past.

Physical Harassment

While not as common as verbal harassment, physical harassment is serious. Unwanted physical contact should never be tolerated. This is true even if the contact seems innocuous.

Imagine a scenario where an executive holds the door open for a female employee. He tells her good morning as she approaches.

While she walks through the doorway, he guides her by placing his hand on her lower back. This is sexual harassment even if it doesn't appear to be.

Exposure to Provocative Content

It's important to note that this is still harassment, even though it seems more abstract. A male coworker might send a female coworker a picture of him in his underwear while asking if he looks good, for instance. This type of harassment can range from a situation like the one above to showing a coworker explicit images or videos.

Getting Started with Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Training

It's essential to find the right training provider when moving forward.

If you don't already have a plan for sexual harassment in the workplace training, it's essential to take action as soon as possible. Otherwise, you could encounter many issues you would've otherwise avoided. Just be sure to work with the right professional.

Compliance Training Online prides itself on providing high-quality, easy-to-use resources. We also have a dedicated team that can seamlessly provide the necessary support. Contact us to see how we can help with your EEOC training.