The work landscape is ever-evolving, becoming increasingly so since the country and the world experienced the health crisis. Some people work from home, some are on site, and some employees are filling in on a contract basis until company reconfigurations can be determined.
Most employees and business leaders have adapted to the changes that have come along, but it’s curious if policies and procedures made the transition. Is everyone following the protocol for professional conduct, whether in their home office, onsite, or perhaps someone not directly employed by the company?
A priority, particularly with training for sexual harassment, is to ensure that programs are implemented that are tailored to the industry and how the business operates so everyone can take advantage.
Sessions that engage the audience, are interactive, and are current can reduce the risk of an event and improve the overall atmosphere. Let’s look at tips for establishing an effective program.
How Can You Make Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Current
Many employees and business leaders are adapting to the current employment landscape industry-wide. Many people remain in the remote platform, others are back on site, and still, a lot of contract workers have been assigned positions until companies decide how they want to reconfigure positions.
In any event, there is still an expectation that everyone, regardless of where they’re stationed or who their direct employer might be, will maintain their company’s professional code of conduct.
The goal is that the office culture is one of respect and that each organization member feels safe and comfortable when coming to work.
By incorporating training programs like sexual harassment prevention training that are accessible to all staff with the expectation that each participate, leaders can help to reduce the likelihood of poor behavior and improve the environment for everyone. Learn details on anti-harassment training by state and city at https://gusto.com/blog/people-management/anti-harassment-training/
How can you present material that each staff member will access and want to participate in? Let’s learn.
The content
As a business leader, the priority when presenting critical information is to make it relevant to your team, which will, in turn, lead them to find you as a credible resource.
The topic of sexual harassment should be something spoken about routinely with posters throughout, periodic newsletters, and bulletins in emails that lead to breakroom discussions instead of merely sitting through a session for an hour each year.
When it is time for the program, it should reflect your work environment and how your team functions using online videos depicting realism and language to which the staff can relate. When the content is understandable, it becomes authentic, leading to a more significant impact and the potential for change.
The leader
As a business leader, the priority is to develop a culture within the organization that is accepting, respectful, and inclusive. If you’re the company’s CEO or the highest-ranking individual on the premises, it’s up to you to express the critical nature of the sexual harassment program.
Doing so would mean presenting either a video or a live message encouraging team members to work toward preventing harassment in the workspace with the understanding that anyone responsible for poor conduct would be held accountable.
Staff members automatically want to hear what the highest-ranking leader in the company has to say. Most recognize it’s serious and take the message as something they not only need to pay attention to but take action on, sort of a “shape up” warning.
When this is presented prior to sexual harassment training, more staff will likely be tuned into what goes on in the session with that message replaying in their mind.
The interactive, engaging approach
Employees are more apt to pay attention when the learning session is interactive, when they can participate and when the information is presented in chunks instead of one long stream of information.
The staff can attach emotionally with an online video, allowing a better understanding of how the laws apply when considering their day-to-day interactions. Go here to learn how to create a program for effective sexual harassment training.
Final Thought
A sexual harassment prevention training program should be accessible to every employee and manager within a company with the anticipation that each will participate according to the company’s internal policies and procedures and/or the mandates set by the local and state governments if these are applicable.
More states are proposing legislation requiring that employers provide the training to their staff, and more businesses are taking it upon themselves to create internal policies and procedures until these mandates are effective.
With business leaders taking control, they aim to offer a solid culture for their staff members, promote respect, safety, and inclusivity within the environment so everyone can come to work without fear, a positive atmosphere.
