Sexual Harassment Training 101: All You Need to Know
Employers who are particular about ensuring safety in the workplace know how important sexual harassment training is.
If you would like to know the basics of sexual harassment training, then carefully read this article.
What is Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is any form of pressure that involves unwanted sensual overtones or advances.
The sensual overtone could be implicit or explicit. In workplaces, they may come with a promise of promotions or other rewards.
Why is Sexual Harassment Training Important
No known definition fully covers behaviors that are considered to constitute sexual harassment behaviors. However, all definitions of sexual harassment agree with the fact that these behaviors are unwanted by the victim.
And so, because of how broad these prohibited behaviors are, it may be difficult to identify them even when a person is being a victim of this menace.
This is why training is important in organizations because it makes the members of the organization aware of when they are being victimized.
It also ensures that everyone in the workplace is aware of the consequences of engaging in this crime and what to do if they ever fall victim.
Common Forms of Sexual Harassment in Workplaces
The following are the most common types of sexual harassment that can occur in a workplace…
Quid Pro Quo
This usually occurs between a superior and a subordinate in the workplace. It often involves the superior promising some sort of benefit in exchange for erotic activities or helping their intended victim avoid unfavorable situations like demotion or termination.
Voyeurism
This is when someone watches another person from a hidden position. A typical example is a coworker watching their coworker when he or she is in the changing room or bathroom.
Technology has made it possible for a person to commit cyber voyeurism with the help of hidden cameras or hacking someone’s computer.
Did you know you can scan your computer to find out if it has been hacked? Visit this page: https://support.norton.com/sp/en/us/home/current/solutions/v109569350 to find out all the steps required to do the scan. This will help you feel safe from cyber voyeurism.
Lewd jokes or comments
This is form is so common that it is even sometimes overlooked, however, this should not be the case. Other forms of this crime that are considered more serious often stem from this.
Unwarranted physical contact
A superior is more probable to do this to his subordinate.
Tips to Make Sexual Harassment Training Effective
The following tips will help increase the effectiveness of your sexual harassment training.
Consider Concise but Impactful Lessons
Some states have laws that govern sexual harassment training, like how long the course has to be. An example of such a state is California. But there is no law about dividing the 2 hours course into 4 lessons of 30 minutes each.
Making the lessons concise and straight to the point will ensure that the audience listens to the message being passed across.
Note: Not all states have laws that enforce this training for private sectors. For example, Illinois sexual harassment training law mainly focuses on public employees. So, even if it is this way in your state, you can still help curb this menace by having these lessons.
Let the Training Email be from the CEO
When you send out the training emails, ensure it carries the name of the CEO rather than HR. This will create a great first impression and give the training an air of importance.
And no one would want to take the training for granted in this case. Also, considering how common and serious the issue at hand is, the CEO can make a video or make an appearance to reinforce the mandatory nature of the training.
Make your Lesson Peculiar to the Company
Ensure your lessons for this course are peculiar to your company and the kind of workplace setting the company has. Do not pick up just any course from the internet or off a shelf. These generic courses are often based on office settings.
And based on complaints, work areas where this crime happens the most do not have the typical office setting. Read this article to find out more about the sexual harassment rate according to industries. So, your course reflects the company just as it is.
Conclusion
Sexual harassment is fast becoming a dominant occurrence in workplaces. And so is the need to curb out this crime. However, because of how broad these bad behaviors are, it may be difficult for a person to identify them even when they are faced with them.
This is why companies and organizations have to educate their staff and members about this problem. If the course is delivered effectively, it is bound to reduce the rate of sex crimes in the company or organization.
