Sexual harassment in the workplace occurs when a person is subject to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature to such an extent that it alters the conditions of the person’s employment and creates an abusive working environment.
This is a serious issue in the workplace. It is important to note that harassment situations can happen to both men and women. Harassment occurs when an employee is subject to unwelcome advances, offensive language or commentary, and unethical behavior.
The following Sexual Harassment in the Workplace training will educate employees on how to recognize, respond, and remove sexual harassment from the workplace.
What You’ll Learn
- Defining harassment in the workplace
- Examples of workplace harassment
- How to intervene if you witness harassment
- Transgender Rights in the workplace
- Anti-discrimination policies
- What to do if you are harassed at work
Details
Course length: 30 minutes; CEU: 0.5.
Languages: American English
Key features: Audio narration, learning activity and post-assessment.
Get Certified
American Medical Compliance (AMC) is a leader in the industry for compliance, Billing and HR solutions. To become certified, please visit us at: American Medical Compliance (AMC).
Reach out for other courses by visiting the AMC Course Library.
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Training
This course educates employees about acceptable and unacceptable behavior in the workplace. Employees must have adequate knowledge to determine such behaviors. Most companies do not require this training. However, all U.S. employers must maintain a workplace that is free from harassment. Because of this, workplaces should provide employees with harassment prevention training.
Sexual misconduct causes distress and may reduce work performance. It may also lead to lawsuits, causing further stress and expenses. Experiencing harassment in a work setting may become a liability for employers. This may result in financial repercussions for any organization.
Workplace Training
This online training will provide employees with knowledge about harassment and the signs of its presence in the workplace. This includes danger zone behaviors, indicative factors, and also risk factors.
Everyone is responsible for preventing harassment, whether for ourselves or other people. The training includes the worker’s responsibilities, filing a complaint, and the support that victims receive.
Sexual Misconduct Training for Employees in the Workplace Online Course
Sexual harassment in the workplace training programs can be done online and onsite. More workers opt for online training. This program offers highly immersive and interactive online scenarios. Workers are given the opportunity to hone their skills which contributes to a harassment-free workplace. This takes precedence over the traditional focus of determining what to avoid. Sexual misconduct in workplace training scenarios is compliant with the U.S. federal laws and workplace harassment laws mandated by the state.
This training is beneficial to improving the workplace culture and reducing business risks. With this training, detrimental workplace behaviors are addressed and workers are turned into active interventionists instead of passive bystanders.
Training Materials
Ethical training for sexual harassment in the workplace must use interactive learning tools and materials such as audio clips and videos aside from written content. Such tools are more effective for learners compared to reports. It must delve into the following main subjects: harassment definition, methods of spotting harassment, ways to respond to harassment, and briefing of the company’s anti-harassment policies.
Harassment in the Workplace Training Presentation
The sexual harassment training presentation must include essential topics. These include employee education, sensitivity training, having a gender-balanced workplace, and team bonding harassment training.
Managers and employees must be sensitized to the delicate nature of sexual misconduct. They must be taught the professional means of handling the problem. Workers should be made aware of what constitutes harassment. The training must focus on acquiring a gender-friendly work environment.
Laws
Sexual harassment is under the sex discrimination laws that fall under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII can be applied to any employer who has 15 or more employees. Sexual misconduct may be in several forms. These include unwanted or unwelcome sexual advances, sexual favor requests, and other verbal and physical conduct of a sexual nature. All these may explicitly or implicitly affect an individual’s employment and create a hostile work setting.
Statistics
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) disclosed that between Fiscal Year 2018 and 2021 the organization received 98,411 charges alleging harassment under various bases. Moreover, EEOC reported 27,291 charges alleging sexual harassment.
Sexual misconduct charges began increasing in 2018. Between 2018 and 2021 27.7 percent of all harassment charges are sexual in nature. This is higher compared to the 24.7 percent between 2014 and 2017.
Preventing Harassment in the Workplace
Sexual harassment prevention in the workplace entails ensuring high-level management support and implementing a harassment policy. The workers and management must undergo regular training and be provided with information on harassment. It is critical for the management to encourage appropriate behavior and conduct and to ensure a positive work environment. On top of these, the management must clearly state that harassment is unacceptable in the workplace.
What Constitutes Sexual Misconduct in the Workplace?
Sexual harassment is defined under the Sex Discrimination Act of 1984. It deems the nature and consequences of sexual misconduct as unlawful. There are several examples of harassing behavior. These include staring or leering, unwelcome touch, requests for sex, insults or taunts based on sex, and intrusive questions about an individual’s private life and body.
Furthermore, sexual misconduct also covers sexually explicit physical contact, text messages, emails, pictures, and posters. Unnecessary familiarity such as deliberately brushing up against a person is considered sexual misconduct.
Causes of Workplace Harassment
Many of the causes are associated with the culture and values of society. In a company setting, they are linked to the roles, relative power, and the male and female status of the workers concerned.
The most prevalent causes include socialization, male aggressiveness and bravado, and lack of company policy. Some other factors are divorce, moral values, cultural differences., power games, credibility, and victim-blaming.
It is also significant to know the various types of harassers.
Effects of Harassment in the Workplace
Sexual harassment affects all people. It can create an environment that hinders the success of employees. Additionally, it has many possible effects such as emotional and physical issues and reduced company productivity. Professional and financial issues may also arise from harassment. This may eventually result in lawsuits and a destroyed reputation.
Victims of harassment often suffer from emotional and psychological conditions like stress, anxiety, or depression. This may also hinder an employee’s work performance and career advancement. When an organization becomes infected with harassment, everyone that is part of it suffers. Indeed, harassment is damaging to the reputation of any organization. Expensive lawsuits may stem from a company’s disregard for ensuring a harassment-free work environment. This is why this training is significant to the organization.
