The Importance of Sexual Harassment Training in the Workplace

According to a new survey, about 81% of women experience sexual harassment in the workplace. These reports come with several ramifications that businesses would likely want to avoid.

Someone filing a sexual harassment report can lead to high legal fees along with damaging your reputation. Not to mention that it is your responsibility as a manager or business owner to protect your employees at all costs.

Along with the other employee training programs and videos you enact, be sure to add in a section about sexual harassment. If you want to know the importance of creating a safe work environment for your employees, keep reading below. You can also visit safetytalkideas.com, to prevent harassment in your Workplace

Training Highlights That Harassment Is Illegal

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), it is illegal to harass another person at work due to their sex. Sexual harassment does not pertain strictly to physical advances.

A sexual or offensive comment or remark qualifies as a harassment charge. If the work environment becomes hostile or uncomfortable for an employee, it can turn into a legal matter. Besides, sexual harrasment training makes employers as well as employees more aware about the laws. For example, the statutory rape laws. The Michigan’s statutory rape laws state that a person must be at least 18 years old in order to engage in consensual sex with an adult. Adults who found to be engaged in sexual acitivity with someone who is below the Michigan age of consent will be accused of commiting the crime.

Training Keeps the Legal Fees Away

If someone opens up a lawsuit against your company, the fees can be damaging. Once this happens, it can take anywhere between a year to three years to settle.

If you lose the legal battle, you can expect to pay anywhere from $50,000 and up if you are a small business. If your company is a large organization, you might even look at paying nearly $300,000 in settlement fees.

Training Can Save Your Reputation

Once a sexual harassment charge is out in the open, people will hear about it one way or another. Once the news that your business does not promote a safe workplace gets out, it can severely damage your company’s reputation.

Along with that, it can cause customers to stop visiting, calling, or making orders. It can also prohibit new customers from contacting you. If you train your employees and ensure they understand the consequences that follow sexual harassment, then you can sidestep these negative situations.

Training Makes Employees More Aware

Sometimes, people are not aware that their actions or comments are a form of sexual harassment. If you implement employee training, it may cause your workers to take a step back and re-evaluate their behavior.

They may realize that certain comments are inappropriate and make them stop before an issue arises. It also teaches employees what to do if their hostile behavior does occur. With the right amount of training, they will know what actions to take and who to go to should they ever become a victim of harassment.

For More Employee Training Tips

As you can tell, there are several reasons to enact employee training for sexual harassment at your business. Not only will it keep you safe from legal charges, but it will create a safe work environment where all of your workers feel at ease.

We hope this guide helped you understand the importance of training in the workplace. If you enjoyed this article, and want to read more tips about business, then check out the business page on our blog.