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 seminar thoroughly addresses the elements of how to prevent unacceptable behavior. The seminar 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 seminars 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: Six Ways to Sabotage Sexual Harassment Prevention Training

More states are requiring employers to conduct sexual harassment prevention training; here are six ways companies are blowing it.

According to the EEOC data released on March 10, 2009, more people experienced workplace discrimination last year than ever before. In fact, the economy has created a perfect storm for employment-related claims; massive layoffs cause hurt feelings and disgruntled former employees, increased stress tends to derail effective workplace communication, and recent research suggests that individuals really are less likely to hire women and minorities during tough times.

So what are employers to do with this new data? Is it time to round up the troops for another boring training video?

Nope. Contrary to popular belief, employers are recognizing that compliance training does not have to be unpleasant or meaningless, especially those who get the “big picture,” i.e., that it doesn’t work to tell people what they can’t do if they don’t know – or don’t know how – to do what they should.

Compliance Training That Sparks Noncompliance
Of course, there are still plenty of ways to mess up. Employers still fall prey to common mistakes. With that in mind, here is a look at six surefire ways to sabotage a sexual harassment prevention program:

Use training to avoid the real issue. No one likes to confront a trouble maker, so don’t do it! Send everyone to training instead. Trust that the offending manager or employee will somehow see the light after sitting through a training class and no one will have to deal with him or her directly. Ignore the resentment of other employees who are all well aware of why they are sitting in the workshop instead of focusing on work.

Keep compliance training separate from anything else. In response to a harassment complaint, immediately send the entire organization through another round of harassment/discrimination prevention training. Don’t consider whether it’s part of a larger problem, such as poor hiring practices or ineffective management development. Sure, a lot of managers are promoted without a clue about how to manage, but why waste time teaching them? After a few employee casualties, they'll turn out just fine.

Send mixed messages. Start off the training with a joke about sexual harassment (how about, “Our trainer today is here to teach all of us how to be a better sexual harasser . . . wink wink nod nod). Or, go in the opposite direction; set a standard that is so unrealistic, it has a chilling effect on everyone involved. Don’t worry about senior managers setting an effective example; after all, employees rarely see them. And don’t even consider asking them to attend any training sessions; who needs senior management’s authority, endorsement or buy-in?

Don’t waste time on regular employees. This isn’t rocket science- it's an off-color joke at the water cooler, a gripe about an unfair supervisor, or a policy that someone claims wasn’t applied consistently. The people most likely to complain don’t need to be trained to express themselves effectively. Everyone is born knowing how to deal with an irate, disrespectful, or offensive boss or coworker. So don’t waste time and money training the people who are most vulnerable.

Ignore the psychology behind the laws. Don’t address people’s natural resistance toward mandatory training; let it be the elephant standing in the corner. Better yet, make them feel guilty for not immediately jumping on the bandwagon. Don’t talk about what humor is effective at work, how office romance can be handled professionally, or what managers can do to put money in their employees’ emotional bank account.

Focus on legalese. Bombard them with lawsuits (try throwing out terms like “shifting burdens of proof” and “adverse tangible employment action”) and scare the wits of them. Fear always motivates people to get along better. And don’t worry about complaints of generally disruptive or intimidating behaviors; after all, many of them aren’t technically illegal. So what if they undermine a climate of safety or lower morale?

Do the bare minimum. Often, sexual harassment is the area in which most supervisors need a refresher course — but it’s certainly not the only one. A good training program will also mention harassment on the basis of race, age, disability, national origin, religion, and other categories that may be protected by state law.

The Bottom Line
HR should be defined not by what it does, but what it delivers. A sound understanding of the civil rights laws is just a starting point in the quest for legal compliance and effective work relations; it's the rest of the journey- the attitude and expertise of the trainer, the quality of the content, the receptivity of the learners- that determine how successful the prevention program is in meeting its goals.

Source: Joni Johnston link