What are the consequences of not taking a harassment training course?
Unfortunately, sexual harassment is still a major issue in the workplace.
As a business owner, it’s becoming increasingly important to make sure your employees are aware of harassment and are given the tools to be able to safely address misconduct in the work environment. The best and easiest way to do this is to invest in harassment training.
Not providing training courses can have big negative consequences on the business and your employees, which we will outline in this article.
Why is sexual harassment training so important?
Sexual harassment prevention training doesn’t only educate your employees around workplace behavior, but it also empowers people by giving them the information they need to effectively deal with any scenarios that may arise. Everyone should feel safe in their place of work, and if they don’t, then they should know what steps they can take to improve their situation.
This training isn’t expensive either. There are plenty of affordable sexual harassment training providers and companies that provide online training videos and courses.
Who benefits from sexual harassment training?
Every member of your business benefits from a workplace harassment course. A safe workplace will ensure a business runs as effectively as possible, and you will build a staff base that is well educated on sexual harassment issues, which can only have a positive impact.
On the flip side, a business that chooses not to engage in effective sexual harassment sensitivity training will be met with a range of negative consequences, that affect every one of your employees and managers. Below we outline a few of these consequences and explain why they will be bad for your business.
Who benefits from sexual harassment training?
Every member of your business benefits from a workplace harassment course. A safe workplace will ensure a business runs as effectively as possible, and you will build a staff base that is well educated on sexual harassment issues, which can only have a positive impact.
On the flip side, a business that chooses not to engage in effective sexual harassment sensitivity training will be met with a range of negative consequences, that affect every one of your employees and managers. Below we outline a few of these consequences and explain why they will be bad for your business.
Consequences to the Employer
First and foremost, a lack of sensitivity and sexual harassment training will have a big impact on the employer. Many states now require employers to provide sexual harassment training by law. If you are based in Illinois, Connecticut, New York, California, Delaware, or Maine, then these employment law changes will apply to you. Failing to provide regular compliance training around sensitivity and harassment may result in legal action and fines.
It’s also worth remembering that these training courses are designed to protect every member of your business and it should be the concern of all business owners to ensure the safety of their employees at all times.
Consequences for Managers
Managers who haven’t taken a training course may not know how to respond when a member of their team comes forward with a report. This could result in the manager taking action that may further harm the employee, and fail at preventing sexual harassment in the future.
A manager who has some compliance training under their belt will be able to deal with complaints cooly and calmly and help the employee in the most effective way possible.
Consequences for Employees
Likely, workers may not feel safe working for a business that has not invested in some training for their staff members. They will find it difficult to report any concerns they have and may struggle to spot the signs of harassment amongst their peers.
Taking a training course that meets the sexual harassment training requirements will ensure that workers always feel confident enough to report any issues and make effective steps to stamp harassment out.