Why You Should Consider Sexual Harassment Training for Your Staff

It’s easy to believe that, in the modern world, everyone is aware of what is appropriate and what isn’t when it comes to workplace behavior. But in reality, there are a number of good reasons to consider getting sexual harassment training for your staff. Some reasons can help your business, while others benefit the individuals in it. Regardless, workplace training is more important than ever.

You protect your employees so they can concentrate on work

A healthy, respectful workplace is efficient and welcoming. When employees know clearly what is and isn’t permitted, and how to treat each other with respect and care, they can do their work much more efficiently.

When your employees don’t have to worry about the way they’re being treated, they can concentrate instead on getting things done for you. Your workplace also becomes a welcoming place that attracts — and keeps — those motivated people you want working for you.

You cover your bases

This might seem cynical, but it’s always wise to do what you can to protect your business from lawsuits. This isn’t selfishness: it’s just good business sense. By providing adequate training, you show that you have taken steps to ensure that everyone in your workplace is treated fairly and with respect.

Of course, you should also follow up New York sexual harassment training with strong signals from the top of the company, making it clear that harassment and discrimination are not tolerated and that those who report it can do so safely.

You increase awareness

By holding sexual harassment training for your employees, you help them understand what is and is not acceptable behavior. It might seem that everyone should know this by now, but this just isn’t the case. You never know the conditions people are accustomed to think are natural.

Some people may have grown up being mistreated and thinking that’s okay. Others may have grown up believing certain behaviors on their part are perfectly acceptable. They may be genuinely surprised, and grateful, to find out that their behavior isn’t appropriate.

You help people navigate a changing culture

Culture is changing rapidly, and some people need help keeping up with some of these changes. Whether it’s being sensitive to the pronouns that people want you to use when referring to them, or learning a new restroom policy, it’s important to keep everyone aware of how to be sensitive and respectful of others.

Sexual harassment and discrimination are in the news every day, and some people are genuinely concerned about whether their behavior is acceptable or not. Help put your employees at ease and give them confidence that they know how to act in the workplace.

You help people navigate changing regulations

Issues of sexual harassment are in the spotlight and lawmakers are responding. Every state has different obligations for both employers and individual employees when it comes to their responsibilities in preventing and reporting harassment and discrimination. And people will be coming to work for you from states and companies with different regulations.

Not only that, but federal regulations change regularly as well. Even the IRS takes an interest in harassment settlements, and Congress has now made it impossible to deduct harassment settlements and all associated lawyers’ fees as a legitimate business expense.

You Empower people to act outside the office

If your employees face inappropriate behavior in the workplace, they should know to report it to you. Good sexual harassment training, however, also teaches them how to make a complaint directly to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or to local authorities in their state.

This means you’ve empowered and protected your employees even when they’re outside your office. if they face harassment on their own time, at home or anywhere else, they’ll know what’s inappropriate and how to protect themselves.

These are just a few of the ways that providing sexual harassment training can help your business and your employees. But the most important reason of all is really the simplest: you should be part of the solution, not the problem.