In our Sexual Harassment Awareness training classes your employees will learn and apply the important skills of handling sexual harassment issues and complaints. This hands on class 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 classes 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 class and the costs for conducting it. 

Sexual Harassment Training: Sexual Harassment in the Federal Workplace - Is It a Problem

Executive Summary
This Executive Summary provides in condensed form a summary of major recommendations and a review of the major findings on the views of Federal employees about sexual harassment, the extent of sexual harassment in the Federal workplace, a description of characteristics of victims and perpetrators of sexual harassment, a discussion of the perceptions and responses of victims to their incidents of sexual harassment, the impact of the behavior on the victims and the estimated dollar cost of sexual harassment to the Federal Government, and views of Federal employees about potential remedies and their effectiveness.

The full Final Report represents the culmination of approximately one year of original research and evaluation of the nature and extent of sexual harassment in the Federal Government. This study is the first scientifically controlled survey of this depth and breadth ever to be conducted on the subject of sexual harassment. To our knowledge it is also the first of its kind to be conducted with the full cooperation of the employer--in this case the Federal Government.

The full report contains many recommendations that can be implemented by agency heads quickly and at relatively minimum cost. Copies of this study should be made available to all agency personnel offices, training officers, Equal Employment Opportunity officers and Federal Women's Program managers, to aid implementation of the recommendations.

Background
" Managers should be put on notice that a 'boys will be boys' atmosphere will not be condoned in any Federal agency. " James M. Hanley, former Chairman, Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, U.S. House of Representatives.

In recent years there has been growing discussion about the existence of sexual harassment at the workplace. Some maintain that it is an age-old problem, while others feel that it is a relatively new phenomenon that has emerged as more women enter the working world. There has been controversy about what constitutes sexual harassment, how widespread harassment is, and how serious its consequences are for employee well-being and productivity.

Against this background, Chairman James M. Hanley and the Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service of the United States House of Representatives conducted a preliminary investigation on sexual harassment in October and November of 1979. Although the investigation was limited to an examination of 100 complaints, the findings were serious enough to prompt the Subcommittee to ask the Merit Systems Protection Board to conduct a thorough and scientific survey of sexual harassment in the Federal workplace. The Subcommittee wanted to find out if the results of their limited investigation would be borne out by a more extensive study.

The preliminary results of the MSPB study were presented at follow-up hearings held by the House Subcommittee on September 25, 1980. The preliminary briefing focused on the series of questions mandated by the Subcommittee to be addressed in the survey.

These were:
What kinds of behavior constitute sexual harassment? Do the attitudes of men and women differ in this regard?

1. To what degree does sexual harassment occur within the Federal workplace? What is the frequency? What are the manifestations?

2. Are victims or perpetrators of sexual harassment found in disproportionate numbers within certain agencies, job classifications, geographic locations, racial categories, age brackets, educational levels, grade levels, etc.?

3. What forms of express or implied lever age have been used by harassers to reward or punish their victims?

4. What has been the impact of sexual harassment on its victims in terms of job turnover, work performance, physical and emotional condition, financial and career well-being?

5. What effect has sexual harassment had on the morale or productivity of the immediate work group?

6. Are victims of sexual harassment aware of available remedies? Do they have confidence in those remedies?

Research Methodology
To develop the study, the MSPB's Office of Merit Systems Review and Studies:
• surveyed the current literature on the subject of sexual harassment,
• consulted with a group of community workers, academic researchers, Federal officials, and a union representative on the content of the study,
• reviewed applicable case law and Government regulations and related policy directives, plans, and training programs, and
• reviewed various case testimonies, Congressional testimony, and previous research studies that had addressed the subject of sexual harassment.

After extensive field testing on over 300 Federal employees and after making numerous revisions, the research team constructed a questionnaire designed to elicit answers to questions in the Congressional mandate. As directed by the House Subcommittee, the research team prepared the questionnaire on the basis of the Office of Personnel Management 's (OPM) definition of sexual harassment, i.e., deliberate or repeated unsolicited verbal comments, gestures or physical contact of a sexual nature that is considered to be unwelcome by the recipient.

With the assistance of OPM, a disproportionately stratified random sample[1] was drawn from OPM 's Central Personnel Data File (CPDF) consisting of civilian employees in the Executive Branch. Four variables were selected to stratify the population. These were: sex, minority status, salary, and organization. Over 23,000 men and women were surveyed in May 1980. Questionnaires were sent to respondents' homes to preserve their confidentiality and anonymity. The members of the sample were asked to base most of their answers on their work experience during the 24-month period from May 1978 to May 1980. A reminder postcard was sent one week later and a follow-up questionnaire was sent to non respondents three weeks after that. The rate of return of 85%--was considerably higher than usually expected on mail surveys.[2]

Explanations of Frequently Used Terms
Victims. In this executive summary, victims of sexual harassment are defined as those respondents who indicated (in either Survey Question 17 or Question 20) that they had experienced one or more forms of sexual harassment on the job during the preceding 24 months. All data is computed on the basis of Question 17 except for those parts of the Questionnaire where respondents were asked to provide detailed data on one critical sexual harassment incident. For questions involving this critical incident, the data on victims was computed on the basis of Survey Question 20. In the final report, the victims who chose to describe their critical incident are referred to as "narrator-victims."

Level of severity of sexual harassment. On the basis of preliminary analysis, sexual harassment experiences (identified by respondents to Survey Question 17 or Question Survey 20) were classified as "most severe," "severe," or "less severe." Those considered "most severe" --were actual or attempted rape or assault; "severe"--included letters, phone calls or materials of a sexual nature; pressure for sexual favors; and deliberate touching, leaning over, cornering or pinching; and "less severe" included pressure for dates; sexually suggestive looks or gestures; and sexual teasing, jokes, remarks or questions.

Findings
Summary
The following major findings emerged from the study:
• Both men and women Federal workers generally agree that uninvited behaviors of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment.
• The incidence rate of sexual harassment in the Federal workforce is widespread--42% of all female employees and 15% of all male employees reported being sexually harassed.
• Many sexual harassment incidents occur repeatedly and are of relatively long duration.
• The majority of Federal employees who had worked elsewhere feel sexual harassment is no worse in the Federal workplace than in state and local governments or in the private sector.
• Sexual harassment is widely distributed among women and men of various backgrounds, positions and locations; however individuals with certain personal and organizational characteristics are more likely to be sexually harassed than others.
• The characteristics of harassers differ for women and men victims--for example, women report almost always being harassed by a man, whereas men report usually being harassed by a woman.
• Many harassers are reported to have bothered more than one victim at work.
• Few employees report having been accused of sexually harassing others.
• Those who are sexually harassed by supervisors and those who experience the more severe forms of sexual harassment are more likely than other victims to foresee penalties or possible benefits from the sexual harassment.
• Most victims neither anticipated nor receive adverse consequences as a result of their sexual harassment, although a sizeable minority did, particularly women.
• A number of informal actions were found by victims to be effective in stopping sexual harassment, particularly the most direct and assertive responses.
• Few victims pursue formal remedies, but many who do find them helpful.
• The impact and cost of sexual harassment in dollars to the Federal Government is sizeable--an estimated minimum of $189 million over the 2-year period covered by the study.
• Although their experiences do not change the careers and work situations of most victims, a sizeable number of women and men do leave their jobs or suffer adverse consequences.
• Victims are more likely to think the sexual harassment negatively affected their personal well-being or morale than their work performance or that of their immediate work group.
• Victims and supervisors are generally unaware of available formal remedies and are skeptical about their effectiveness.
• Assertive informal actions are thought to be the most effective way employees can make others stop bothering them sexually.
• Most victims and supervisors think there is much management can do to reduce sexual harassment.
• In conclusion, the data show that sexual harassment is widespread, is costly, deeply felt by many of the victims, and that the 1979 Congressional investigation was indicative of a significant problem; however, the data also indicated that there is much that can be done to reduce that problem.

Source: U.S. MSPB link