Several jurisdictions have passed laws requiring sexual harassment education for managers and other employees. These states include California as well as New York. Businesses nevertheless benefit greatly from sexual harassment training even in states where it is not legally required.
Possibility of legal action for sexual harassment
The Supreme Court has made clear distinctions between sexual harassment by coworkers and sexual harassment by managers and other employees with authority to act on the company’s behalf. Companies are often only liable for sexual harassment by coworkers if it can be proven that the harassment started or persisted due to the company’s negligence. Click on this link https://www.wsj.com/articles/powers-role-in-sexual-harassment-1517844769.
Employers who are aware of sexual harassment yet do nothing to protect the victim are negligent. In most cases, a company can protect itself from sexual harassment lawsuits by conducting an investigation into the allegations and taking corrective action (such as disciplinary measures or termination) against the harassing employee.
Managers and supervisors benefit from sexual harassment training because it clarifies their responsibilities in the event that they become aware of or believe sexual harassment has taken place in the workplace.
Enterprises can also be found negligent if they do nothing to actively combat sexual harassment in the workplace. When companies fail to clearly communicate to their staff that they will not condone sexual harassment, they put themselves at risk of legal action from aggrieved employees.
Putting up a wall to prevent negligence suits
There are three methods in which sexual harassment education can protect an organization against liability claims. The first step a company can take to prevent sexual harassment is to provide training to all staff members on acceptable and unacceptable behavior in the workplace.
The instruction will help the company defend itself against allegations of sexual harassment tolerance and negligent failure to prevent it by making apparent during the training procedure that the company takes sexual harassment severely and has enacted a policy forbidding sexual harassment.
Secondly, the company can use Supreme Court rulings that establish a defense to sexual harassment claims by stressing the existence of a complaint reporting process as well as encouraging mistreated employees to use it. Even if an employee follows the proper channels for reporting misconduct, the employer may be at fault if it does not conduct a thorough investigation and timely response.
Nonetheless, a vital first step in avoiding responsibility for sexual harassment committed by coworkers is training employees on the importance of the reporting process.
Finally, teaching supervisors and managers reinforce the need of investigating allegations of sexual harassment. It is crucial that managers and supervisors understand their rights and limitations in regard to sexual harassment claims, as companies can be held liable for sexual harassment perpetrated by managers as well as some supervisors even if the organization was unaware of the harassment. Read more on this page.
Boosting efficiency in the workplace
In addition to putting companies at risk of legal action, sexual harassment in the workplace decreases productivity. Sexually harassed workers are less devoted to their employment, according to research conducted in 2007 by three psychologists at the University of Calgary. An organization’s productivity decreases when employees experience sexual harassment, but it increases when workers are treated with respect.
Greater absenteeism is also a result of sexual harassment. Employees who have experienced sexual harassment are more likely to take time off work due to illness. Consequently, the cost of sick leave, as well as the cost of replacing frightened staff with temp employees, rises when sexual harassment is not controlled.
Significantly higher rates of sexual harassment in the workplace are correlated with high rates of staff turnover. Every time a skilled worker quits, the company must spend money on recruiting, training, and adjusting to the loss in productivity that results.
Training on sexual harassment also has other advantages
Diversity in the workplace is good for business. Employees who are subjected to harassment on the basis of their gender or sexual orientation may feel compelled to look for work elsewhere. In the absence of diversity, firms open themselves up to claims of bias and discrimination.
Also, firms lose the benefit of having a variety of opinions from which to make sound judgments. Employers may adapt and prosper in the face of increased competition when they have employees from both sexes.
If through California Law sexual harassment is not addressed, it can be difficult to attract and retain quality workers. A company with a poor reputation for employee protection may have a hard time attracting and retaining workers who are not immediately harmed by harassment.
Furthermore, sexual harassment is bad for business. Businesses risk losing customers if they are seen to condone sexual harassment in the workplace. If a company can’t show its workers and the general public that it’s committed to providing an inclusive workplace for people of all genders and sexual orientations, it could lose not only its workers but also its consumers.
Together, a sexual harassment prevention policy and training may reassure workers that they are respected and make clear what is expected of them in the workplace. Businesses can protect themselves from lawsuits, boost employee satisfaction, retention, efficiency, as well as reputation by mandating sexual harassment training for all employees and management. Whether or not it is mandated by law in a given state, sexual harassment training is something that any forward-thinking company should consider.
