Harassment Training
Over the past few weeks I have watched my former boss – the Governor of New York and a man I have deeply admired for many years – be accused of a long line of wrong-doings involving inappropriate behavior with members of the opposite sex. While this has conjured up a wide array of emotions and opinions both personal and professional, it has brought me back to a topic I have thought -and started to write- about for a long time: What does the conversation about harassment have to entail? What should training cover? How must the industry or position or title of the employee impact what that program looks like? How much time should an employee spend understanding this subject and their responsibilities?
Over the past few years in New York, a series of laws has made it mandatory- first in New York City, and then statewide- for all employers to provide sexual harassment training to all their employees- every year- regardless of the size of the business.
The EEOC and State regulatory agencies offer training programs. There are private services whose offers run the gamut from a $50 webinar to a 3-hour seminar for thousands…but not all programs are right for all people, so what do you really need? And what should inform that decision? With lawsuits and state mandates proliferating, choosing the right program is not one-size-fits-all.
Are you a lobbying or political consulting firm? You need to talk to your people about cocktail parties and how the workplace extends to wherever the job takes you.
Do you have a youthful or ‘techy’ workforce? You need to make sure your people understand that social media – when a group or post includes people from work – is governed by the same rules as at-work communications. And it doesn’t matter what form the communication takes- a text, or a passive meme… And there is no privacy in their communications when they are using company devices- even if it’s your personal email. You’d be surprised how often those 3 questions come up – and the more technology someone uses, the more opportunities there are for the answers to become problems.
Do you have a large executive team? It’s worth breaking down into smaller groups and making sure people understand not just the law and rules, but the differing obligations between supervisors and subordinates. You need to make sure your executives know what to watch for amongst their people and how to respond if someone cries out to them. You need to train them in confidentiality and investigation, and what the reporting requirements entail.
Are you a large multi-faceted corporation? You probably need more. You need to train everyone – including on how to investigate these accusations - but you also have to put together a team of people who are going to spend some time identifying the problems and challenges you have in each particular operation or department, or with a certain group of people.
Are you a law firm? We have programs that have been accredited for CLE.
What does your organization need? Let’s have that conversation.
