Sexual harassment has been commonplace in the work environment for as long as work environments have existed. Most of the comments, innuendos, and just plain bad habits have been overlooked by everyone would excuse these actions as little more than nothing. Only recently have corporations and employees started to address the unacceptable behavior that was the normal not so long ago within work environments. Large and small companies are setting up policy manuals to deal with the conditions surrounding sexual harassment. The manuals lay out step by step directions for handling sexual harassment issues.
Confidentiality programs for employees are a part of what the policy manuals contain, training programs are also set up to help make employees sensitive to the pertinent issues involving harassment, and last is the disciplinary programs utilized to help punish the harasser.
Sexual harassment is a very complicated and costly issue in employment law. Employers can greatly benefit by creating and fostering a respectful workplace and protect their organizations by addressing the issue of sexual harassment.
English: Cropped and resized photo by User:Maveric...
Anti-Sexual Harassment Graffiti reading: No Touchi...
English: Photo taken at Arnold Schwarzenegger's in...As a means of preventing and addressing sexual harassment in the work environment, employers are urged to provide mandatory training courses for all their employers. Effective January 1, 2005, the new law in California regarding sexual harassment training, (AB 1825), requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide two hours of sexual harassment training to all supervisors once every two years (www.prnewswire.com). However, employers with less than 50 employees can take the initiative to provide their employees with the same training.
Sexual harassment prevention training can bring a sense of awareness of the issue to employees in all levels of the company. The primary goal of the training can be to demonstrate what constitutes sexual harassment in the workplace and to outline the steps involved in dealing with...