Employment Law

It's become all too common in the instance of sexual harassment complaints. The victim is blamed. Why does this behavior occur and what can organizations do about it? It comes down to both power and preconceived notions by coworkers and it can be thwarted by a well-defined sexual harassment training policy. Here are some of the most common reasons a victim can be blamed.
Harassment is first and foremost about power and in many cases harassment occurs when a powerful member of an organization harasses a less powerful member. Powerful members of an organization have generally been in the organization longer than a less powerful individual. Co-workers have known them longer and have developed a stronger relationship with them. It is natural that they would have back the employee they know better.
 

Retaliation as a result of a sexual harassment complaint is all too common in the workplace. Often times the victim of harassment faces much more stress and damage in the aftermath of a complaint than they got from the original harassment. Many studies have shown that as many as 50% of harassment victims were more traumatized by the aftermath than they were by the actual harassment. It is imperative that all companies have Sexual Harassment training in the area of retaliation as part of their harassment training classes.

There are a number of behaviors that could lead to illegal workplace harassment. When continuous and unwanted behaviors are insensitive or offensive and focus around a difference or perceived difference, they can reach the level of illegal workplace harassment. Workplace harassment training should focus on the various types of behaviors that are considered offensive. It does not hurt to specifically spell out a number of these behaviors to make sure there is complete employee understanding in your harassment training.

Sexual Harassment in the workplace is illegal and causes a myriad of morale and productivity issues for an organization. As a result, Sexual Harassment has disciplinary consequences for employees. These consequences are an important part of Sexual Harassment training. Make sure that every employee knows exactly what the result of non-compliance with your organization's sexual harassment policy and what steps the company will take when the policy is broken.

There are numerous behaviors that could lead to sexual harassment in the workplace. We are all used to the examples we see in TV or movies about the manager who demands sexual favors from his workers, but although this obvious version of harassment still exists, it now occurs mostly in the form of Hostile Environment Harassment. This type of harassment occurs when sexual behaviors are unwanted and continuous and create an intimidating, hostile or offensive working enviroment. Sexual Harassment training should include every behavior listed below.

Hostile Environment Sexual Harassment is the most common harassment to occur in the workplace today.  Companies need to be cognizant of this type of harassment and make sure that their sexual harassment training covers every aspect of it.  Here are some facts about Hostile Environment harassment.

There are two types of Sexual Harassment - Quid Pro Quo and Hostile Environment. Both types are illegal in the workplace and both types require sexual harassment training to insure that your organization is not liable in a sexual harassment complaint.

Quid Pro Quo occurs when a manager or supervisor withholds or awards job benefits on the basis of sexual favors. Quid Pro Quo literally means "This for That” in Latin.

So management has asked you to do sexual harassment training and make sure the policies are adhered to with the employees you manage. It's not an easy task and not a comfortable one either. Here are a few tips to make sure that your policy is implemented and adhered to.