Employers and employees alike deserve to be safe while they are at work.  Having to endure harassment is a direct threat to that well-being, which is probably why it has become such a hot topic in the past few years in terms of what people want to see changed across the country (and globally).  Of course, there are other reasons behind it as well.

If you have not been paying much attention to the news, you may not be aware of things like the Me Too movement or all of the different cases regarding sexual harassment that have gone viral in the past several years.  All of them play a part in some of the new rules that we have seen written into law, so I think they are critical to acknowledge.

If you are curious about what these rules are and how to follow them in your own business, that is what I will be discussing in today’s article.  So, be sure to stick around for further information.

The Current Laws in California

I am sure this probably comes as little to no surprise, but California has one of the most rigid policies in terms of how much you must train employees about harassment in general, but sexual harassment in particular.  We can trace all of these regulations back to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as harassment violates Title Seven of this amendment.

The department that handles this in California is called the DFEH and they protect Californians from discrimination in employment.  If you were unaware, that doesfall under this umbrella in terms of what harassment is.  So, if there has been a violation of civil rights laws, claims can be filed to that agency.

I would recommend complying with the guidelines put in place by the state in terms of training employees.  It is not only to protect your employees but also yourself should something bad happen.

Who Should be Trained

Now, you may be wondering which employees you should train in this.  As the #MeToo movement has shown, sexual harassment is still a major problem in the workplace.  While this problem has been getting more attention lately, there are still many companies who have not taken steps to address it.

Unfortunately, this is often because they are not sure who should be trained in sexual harassment prevention.  Now, what I would like to point out is that all of your employees probably should be, including management.  If you are worried about how you will do something on such a large scale, you could look at online sexual harassment training California options, as there are plenty out there.

How to Train this Sensitive Information

There are a few different options when it comes to training employees in sexual harassment prevention. Companies can provide this training themselves, hire an outside consultant to provide the training, or require employees to take an online course. Each of these has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to choose the option that’s best for your company.  Make sure to think about it carefully before you commit!

Sexual harassment training is an important step in preventing harassment in the workplace. By taking the time to train your employees, you can create a safer and more respectful work environment.Something to keep in mind is that this content can be triggering for some people, so it is important to be cognizant of that and present it in a sensitive way.

You can learn more about that on this page: https://oag.ca.gov/workplace-sexual-harassment.  While it is not always possible to train without touching upon these difficult topics, we can do it in sensitive ways.  Just keep in mind that we do not know all of our employees on a deep level like that.

Why it Matters

Sexual harassment training may seem like a waste of time to some, but it’s actually an incredibly crucial part of maintaining a safe and respectful workplace.  In that same vein, that is how we can ensure our spaces are productive too! Harassment training can help employees to understand what constitutes harassment, how to report it, and how to prevent it from happening in the first place.

In addition, harassment training can help to create a more positive work environment by making employees more aware of the importance of respect and diversity.  By taking the time to educate employees on these issues, you are taking a step in the right direction for promoting those things.

It can be difficult to take the plunge and set the time aside, but you will be glad that you did.  The benefits in an office or any other place of work might not be immediately apparently, but you will definitely enjoy them as workers and supervisors alike feel more confident and comfortable with each other.