Harassment Training Matters for the Modern Business: Here’s Why
If you take a moment to picture some of the most iconic and best business practices, what are they? You are probably thinking about different sales techniques or marketing methods, such as word-of-mouth marketing or a sales funnel. What about good practices in an office setting, though?
In a workplace, meeting the needs of your employees in this facet is critical. It is easy to let these things fall by the wayside but trust me when I say we should not let it. One thing we can do is offer a form of harassment training. Let me explain why it is worth it.
In Many Places, it is a Requirement
This point is particularly relevant in the United States, though there are plenty of other places across the world where it matters. I say this because of web pages like this one, https://www.in.gov/spd/policies-and-procedures/workplace-harassment-information/, which offer some insights into what is considered harassment according to the law.
Now, it is good to keep in mind that these requirements will vary depending on local regulations and ordinances as well as federal law. All must be followed. That means that we should be cognizant of what qualifies under this umbrella.
What is Harassment?
For this article, I am referring to harassment in a workplace setting. So, there are similar things that count in other spaces, but we will stay specific here. I will start with sexual harassment, as it is one of the most serious forms.
It is classified as an unwanted advance that is intimate in nature, as well as comments along that line or any other conduct similar. That could be verbal or physical advances or asking for some sort of sexual behavior. All of these things classify under this term.
One of the main reasons for seeking out training for harassment is that the other types are a bit less concrete. It is hard to tell what qualifies in some cases, and some of us might consider certain actions to be a joke or funny when others do not. That is why incorporating training sessions can be beneficial.
The physical category is what we normally think of. It does not only come in a sexual form. Stealing items, moving things around on a desk, touching someone’s hair without their permission, and more can all count as well. I think that explaining this is quite important, as many people might not think of it as a serious infraction even though it is.
Emotional harassment is different in nature and can be more difficult to spot. You see, that is because we often consider many of the actions in this category as socially acceptable on a wider societal level, even if we personally do not agree with them. What I mean by this is that because they are seemingly innocuous, they do not elicit much attention.
That being said, they are just as insidious. Even if they are not directly tied to race, gender, or sexuality on the surface, underneath it is in fact related to that. Some of these are called microaggressions, which you can read about on this page. Another form is called bullying, which many of us are already familiar with.
While we might only think of it in a school age context, it can certainly apply in a work or office setting as well. Making fun of a person based on their looks, their age, their gender, their sexuality, their religion, their race, or their ethnicity – all of this can be considered bullying. It should, obviously, be discouraged.
Why Training Matters
As I mentioned previously, sometimes both employers and employees do not recognize an action or statement as harassment. Because of our own senses of humor, we might not see our actions as harmful. However, not everyone shares in that jest, so it is important to keep that in mind.
A training session, when proctored well, can help us to recognize these harmful behavior patterns. This can, of course, sometimes stop the behaviors before they even occur. However, if that is not the case, it still provides tools for those suffering from harassment to be able to report it.
Additionally, it can assist in making a workplace feel safer and inclusive. This is definitely important, as diversity is a critical part of our modern businesses. It can bring a variety of perspectives that are valuable to the way the office runs, especially when they are new innovations in a space that we may not have had access to otherwise.
However, it is difficult to inculcate these values if your employees do not feel safe coming forward should something happen. That is why training can be such a boon. So, if you have been on the fence previously, I would recommend at least considering it.
