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Sexual Harassment in the WorkplaceFor Management supervisors and employeesSexual harassment is a form of discrimination based on sex and can occur in many forms and under many different circumstances. Our federal government and most states have passed laws that prohibit sexual harassment in the workplace. As such, all employers are obligated to maintain a harassment-free workplace for its employees at all times. In California, on September 29, 2004, the Governor signed into law Assembly Bill 1825 (AB1825). This mandate became effective on January 1, 2005, which requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide training and education on sexual harassment for supervisors every two years. Employers must include their full-time, part-time employees, and temporary service employees, as well as independent contractors. Since the law does not specify that the 50 employees must be within the state, the law applies to California employers with 50 total employees including those outside the state. In fiscal year 2007, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received 12,510 charges of sexual harassment. Of those cases received, the enforcement agency resolved 11,592 sexual harassment charges and recovered $49.9 million in monetary benefits for charging parties and other aggrieved individuals (not including monetary benefits obtained through litigation). And, according to Time magazine, “California is the most litigious state in one of the most lawsuit-crazy nations in the world.” More than 1.5 million civil suits are filed in California every year, with lawyers earning upwards of $17 billion annually in legal fees. The average cost to defend an employment claim is approximately $300,000, and the average jury verdict for sexual harassment claims is $1 million. In addition to the legal implications, sexual harassment destroys the work environment and can affect anyone in any job, not just women. In fact, statistics show that 16% of claims are filed by males. The anxiety and frustration experienced by victims can impact their quality of life not to mention the quality of their work. As an employer, part of your legal and moral obligation is to maintain a workplace free of sexual harassment. By allowing harassment to flourish in your workplace, you will pay a high price in terms of poor employee morale, low productivity, and litigation. AB1825 requires 2 hours of interactive training, which precludes simply watching a video or handing out pamphlets. With these staggering figures, two hours of training is but a small fraction of the costs an expensive lawsuit can generate. Conducting regular training for all employees allows employers the ability to raise a defense or mitigate damages in the event of a sexual harassment claim or lawsuit. Managers and supervisors must be aware of their responsibilities and accountability for failure to prevent and correct sexual harassment in the workplace. Part of their responsibilities includes learning to recognize sexual harassment and the appropriate corrective actions to take in the event of an occurrence. As always, implementing preventative measures is the best tool to eliminate sexual harassment. This workshop will train supervisors and managers in the following areas:
Training MethodsWe offer three effective methods of learning: (1) on-site, instructor-led training, (2) online courses, and (3) learning webinars. All three are highly informative and interactive and makes learning and retention easy and fun. Please be sure to view our demo online training course! For our live, on-site training, you choose the time, date and location and one of our experienced trainers will come to your facility using state-of-the-art equipment, professionally-designed PowerPoint, quizzes and educational literature in your choice of languages. Our online training courses or learning webinars are easy to use and are favored by employers with employees scattered in various locations or who simply have conflicting work schedules. The CTG online learning management system does not require downloading additional software as our courses open in any internet browser. The client can simply log on and self-enroll in any one of our online learning courses and receive generated email reminders. Our program also allows client administrators to upload company-specific material that can be used in conjunction with our course content. Upon course completion, a certificate of completion will be generated and provided to the attendee for the user's own personal records. Client administrators can also manage and track its employees' progress and completion of each subscribed online course and export the list to Excel for printing and filing. And, these are but a few features and amenities offered through our online course management system. Our webinars are conducted by a live-trainer and can be transmitted from computer to computer across the globe! The only tools necessary are a computer and either speakers, headphones, or a telephone. It's just that easy! This method allows a much more personal interaction between trainer and clients, which cannot be experienced through the online training courses. All our trainers are highly qualified presenters with knowledge and expertise in the prevention, discrimination and retaliation related to sexual harassment. Length: 2-4 Hours (depending on the client's needs). Preventing Sexual HarassmentFirst, adopt a clear sexual harassment policy. Devote a section in your employee policy handbook to sexual harassment that should:
Second, disseminate this policy to all employees. Third, regularly provide training to all employees on your policies and on sexual harassment awareness. And, lastly, continually monitor your workplace for signs of sexual harassment. |
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