Learning about sexual harassment training basics will help you keep your workplace safe and non-intimidating for all employees. Whether an off-site sexual harassment training seminar, a sexual harassment training video or an online program, there are a variety of instructional formats from which you can choose. Think about your business functions, hours and peak business hours and choose a format that works best for your business production schedule.

A form of discrimination, sexual harassment is a direct violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The act describes this type of sexual discrimination as any conduct that consists of unwanted sexual advances in the workplace that unreasonably interferes with an individual’s right to an non-intimidating work environment. Consider the following goals of sexual harassment training programs:

1. Instruct employers about preventing sexual harassment.

2. Trains employers on sexual harassment management methods.

3. Sexual harassment training demonstrates a company’s commitment to eliminating harassment.

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Take responsibility for sexual harassment training programs

Ultimately, it's the company's responsibility to prevent harassment and take immediate action when an employee files a sexual harassment complaint. Sexual harassment prevention training courses will help managers and staff better understand signs of inappropriate workplace behavior. It's important to regularly conduct refresher anti-harassment programs.

I recommend: Check out BTLG, a business law firm, for detailed information on sexual harassment basics. You may also consider learning more about sexual harassment training by visiting the Connecticut Employment Law Blog.

Conduct sexual harassment training to avoid costly lawsuits

Every year, thousands of employers face sexual harassment lawsuits. You can avoid these types of cases by implementing effective sexual harassment training programs for all supervisors and staff. It's also a good idea to keep records of all sexual harassment training programs as evidence of your company's efforts to prevent harassment in your work environment.

I recommend: Consider learning more about sexual harassment training from Universal Class, an online provider of employer sexual harassment training programs. You may also consider checking out the HR Training Center to learn more about sexual harassment videos, seminars, online training and other types of sexual harassment training programs.

Use sexual harassment training to communicate your no-tolerance policy

It's important that your sexual harassment training covers the responsibilities of all managers, owners and staff members in preventing sexual harassment. It's important that the company stresses the importance of preventing sexual harassment to all managers and staff.

I recommend: You can learn more about sexual harassment training from Workplace Answers. You may also consider purchasing the "Sexual Harassment Training and Internal Investigations of Employee Issues" from Lorman Bookstore.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When deciding sexual harassment lawsuits, many courts take into account whether or not the employers had an adequate sexual harassment training program and policy in force prior to the allegation of harassment in the workplace.

Unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal and physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when....

Following the above is a lengthy set of examples and other conditions that make up the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) definition of sexual harassment. And that's just the start.

Atop Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the main federal law from which all other anti-harassment law flows, there are state laws, as well. The letter of these laws matters most, but beyond that, the rule of thumb in avoiding an unfavorable harassment verdict is "reasonable care," says the U.S. Supreme Court. The more you do to prevent and, when necessary, address harassment in your workplace, the better you can prove that you took reasonable care to prevent it. You should know that:

1. Employers may be liable for sexual harassment damages even when they were unaware that harassment was taking place.
2. Many states mandate sexual harassment but even if your state does not, getting your employees (especially supervisors) trained makes for good "reasonable care."
3. Laws surrounding sexual harassment overlap and relate to other anti-discrimination and "hostile workplace" regulations, including those covering harassment and/or unfair treatment based on race, age, disability or national origin. Your sexual harassment policy is one brick in your anti-discrimination wall.

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Know the requirements

Investigate federal requirements for wording, posting and distribution of anti-harassment information and related rules, but note that each state has its own additional regulations. Laws also may vary by company size.

I recommend: Visit LawGuru's sexual harassment FAQ for an overview of federal requirements and best practices and consult your state government's labor department and peruse labor law blogs to learn more about what's required in your state. For recent court decisions regarding harassment, visit The Employment Law Information Network.

Get the training

Starting in January, 2006, all California businesses with 50 or more employees must deliver a two-hour sexual harassment training, adding California to the list of 21 states now requiring some form of sexual harassment training.

I recommend: See Global Compliance for a chart of state training requirements. Most state training requirements can be fulfilled by online training -- Workplace Answers and Brightline Compliance are two suppliers. Some states, such as New York, offer free online training.

Develop your company policy

The details take careful writing, but the message of a policy is simple: zero tolerance. The policy should include steps for filing complaints.

I recommend: Find written policies you can customize at Sexualharassmentpolicy.com and Personnel Policy Service. The EEOC offers a detailed guide to writing a small-business policy. When you have a draft ready, find a local labor and employment attorney at LawInfo to review your policy and recommend additions or amendments.

Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!

Reasonable care includes doing everything possible to spread the message about your company's zero-tolerance policy.

I recommend: You can purchase posters at the Labor Law Center (or create your own) based on EEOC regulations, for posting in areas frequented by employees and job applicants. These posters summarize anti-harassment law and give employees specific instructions for identifying harassment and filing complaints. Any other ways you reinforce the message will also demonstrate reasonable care; for example, try giving your managers the easy-to-follow "Dos & Don'ts Guide" from Sexualharassmentpolicy.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Live up to your policy. Monitor the behavior of your workers and supervisors. Upon observing or hearing about unacceptable behavior, or upon receiving a complaint, follow the stated policy to the letter.
• •  Litigants may be able to review company email and other communications that may contain information relevant to a harassment suit. Monitoring communication for unacceptable behavior is as important as monitoring workplace behavior.
• •  If you post a generic anti-harassment poster, alongside it post a summary of company-specific policy information and your 'zero-tolerance' message.

Making the most of sexual harassment training is essential to creating a safe work environment for all employees. Offered online and via traditional classrooms, sexual harassment training programs are easily accessible.

A form of discrimination, sexual harassment is a direct violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This type of sexual discrimination is described as any conduct that consists of unwanted sexual advances in the workplace that unreasonably interferes with an individual’s right to an unintimidating work environment. In deciding sexual harassment lawsuits, many courts take into account whether or not the employer had an adequate sexual harassment policy in place prior to the allegation of harassment in the workplace. By making the most of sexual harassment training, employers will:

1. Help employers increase their awareness of sexual harassment.

2. Assist management in acquiring the necessary skills to address issues of harassment.

3. Sexual harassment training helps supervisors on effective prevention methods.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Implement effective harassment training programs

Every year, thousands of employers are challenged with sexual harassment lawsuits. These types of cases can be avoided by implementing effective sexual harassment training programs for all supervisors and staff. It's important that the company stresses the importance of preventing sexual harassment to all managers and staff.

I recommend: Visit Employment Law Training for a broad range of resources on sexual harassment training programs. You may also consider reading more about online sexual harassment training programs by visiting Parachute.

Keep your workplace safe with sexual harassment training solutions

Sexual harassment prevention training courses will help managers and staff better understand signs of inappropriate workplace behavior. It's important to regularly conduct refresher anti-harassment programs. Ultimately, it's the company's responsibility to prevent harassment and take decisive action when a sexual harassment complaint is filed. Providers of sexual harassment training can help prevent inappropriate behavior in the workplace.

I recommend: Visit the NYS Governor Office of Employee Relations to learn about an online harassment training program designed as a refresher course for classroom instruction. You may also check out online interactive courses provided by Interactive Employment Training.

Research various types of sexual harassment training programs

Whether an off-site sexual harassment training seminar, sexual harassment videos or an online course, there are a variety of instructional formats from which you can choose. Think about your business functions, hours and peak business hours and choose a format that works best for your business production schedule.

I recommend: Check out Lumina Productions to read more about its Emmy Award winning instructional sexual harassment training video. You may also consider reading more information about sexual harassment training by visiting Anderson-davis.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  It's important that your sexual harassment training covers responsibilities of all managers, owners and staff members in preventing sexual harassment. It's also a good idea to keep records of all sexual harassment training programs as evidence of your company's efforts to prevent harassment in your work environment.

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination which may occur in the workplace. It may involve unwelcome advances of a sexual nature or a request for favors which are sexual. In order to protect a company, its integrity and its employees, it is important to utilize sexual harassment training. A part of any training would be education in the use of applicable terminology. To learn more about sexual harassment training and the key concepts covered within this training methodology, consider popular and important terms relating to this topic.

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Reasonable person standard

The reasonable person standard is used in order to determine whether or not a behavior would meet the legal criteria for sexual harassment. It is designed to be objective. In the test, a reasonable person is hypothetically exposed to the case's facts and circumstances in order to determine if it is offensive to a reasonable person. This standard does not rely on stereotypes and notions of acceptable behavior in any given work environment.

I recommend: EEOC.gov explains the reasonable person standard more thoroughly under the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's guidelines. A legal definition for the reasonable woman standard, a variance of the reasonable person standard, may be found at TheFreeDictionary.com.

Reprisal

A reprisal occurs when threats are made of an unfavorable action for personnel or the withholding or threat to withhold a favorable action towards personnel as a result of an employee participating in sexual harassment.

I recommend: An instance of sexual harassment and subsequent reprisals in the LAPD is explored at Feminist.org.

Hostile work environment

The work environment includes an individual or business's workplace, as well as the conditions and atmosphere of the area. It is the environment in which an individual is required to work. It is hostile when it becomes uncomfortable to work and function as a result of the sexual harassment taking place.

I recommend: Hostile work environment is explored and explained at FCC.gov.

Quid pro quo sexual harassment

Quid pro quo sexual harassment is one of two types of recognized sexual harassment. In this version, an employee makes sexual advances or other harassment actions towards a subordinate wherein the subordinate's acceptance or disapproval of the action would determine a benefit or detrimental action against the subordinate by the supervisor. Employers are liable for quid pro quo sexual harassment when initiated by supervisors. As a result, they are responsible for any and all damages, regardless of 'fault.'

I recommend: StopVAW.org explores quid pro quo sexual harassment as the most prevalent form of sexual harassment in the workplace.

Hostile work environment sexual harassment

Hostile work environment sexual harassment is the second form of recognized sexual harassment. This occurs when unwelcome sexual conduct is noted to unreasonably interfere with employees' job performances. Also, when such activity fosters a hostile, intimidating or offensive work environment for the employee(s).

I recommend: UCLA.edu and ExpertLaw.com both explore hostile work environment sexual harassment, as well as offering brief definitions, explanations and additional information with respect to quid pro quo sexual harassment.

Constructive discharge

A constructive discharge takes place when an employer intentionally makes a work environment so uncomfortable that any reasonable person would find it intolerable and unproductive to work on the premises. Constructive discharge can occur only after an employee chooses to quit a job because of the sexual harassment taking place, and has given the employer a notice of the harassment, giving the employer ample time and the opportunity to rectify the situation.

I recommend: Examples, causes and effects of constructive discharges can be found at Lawmemo.com.