Steps to Preventing Workplace Sexual Harassment in New York
No one should feel unsafe or uncomfortable in the workplace. Having to worry that your coworkers and superiors might behave inappropriately towards you can make it difficult to concentrate and excel in your job. With the plethora of stories emerging of people being harassed at their workplace, now is the time to ensure that all your employees feel safe and respected in their work environment. Even if inappropriate behavior has never occurred within your organization, that doesn’t mean it will never happen. There are a few easy steps you can take to prevent sexual harassment from happening in the workplace.
Start the Conversation
Action can occur only after confronting an issue. Therefore, to take steps toward a safe workplace free of harassment, someone has to bring up the issue. No matter if you are an employee or a supervisor, you can be the one to start the conversation. Get the ball rolling, brainstorm with your coworkers, and figure out what the best course of action is for your workplace.
Mandatory Training
The next step is to make sure everyone is on the same page and understands what sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior look like under the law. Educating your coworkers and employees through sexual harassment prevention training in New York is required by law annually and is important to ensure that everyone has gotten information on what behavior won’t be tolerated, and what to do if inappropriate behavior occurs. Online training is a great option because it’s an individual and nonpublic space, it’s easy for your employees to complete on their own time, and you can track their progress to see what they’ve learned.
Reporting Channels
Next, trustworthy reporting channels should be established as a resource for anyone who has been a victim of sexual harassment or has seen it occur. These reporting channels should be trustworthy, confidential, and lead to a legal report and action. These channels should also be a safe place for your employees to disclose any inappropriate behavior without shame, unwanted attention or fear of retaliation.
Establish Consequences
It should be made perfectly clear that sexual harassment won’t be tolerated at your workplace. Establish clear consequences for behaving inappropriately, and have the consequences be known and supported by senior leadership. If sexual harassment does occur, you must follow through with those consequences. Tolerating inappropriate behavior will only lead to more occurrences and potential risks of litigation.
Empower Women
Though sexual harassment doesn’t solely happen to women, they do make up a large percentage of victims. Perhaps one of the best ways to prevent sexual harassment from occurring at your place of employment is by empowering the women who work there. This simply means giving women a fair voice, control, and power in the company, whether that is done by hiring more women, promoting more women, or listening and utilizing the thoughts and ideas of women.
Don’t let your employees become potential victims of harassment and discrimination. Take the necessary steps to follow the legal training mandates that New York has put into law. Contact Impact Compliance Training for online or in-person sexual harassment training for your company. Visit https://impactcompliancetraining.com/ to learn how.