Avoiding Sexual Harassment Complaints
Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual conduct or advances. Inappropriate touching, telling jokes that are sexually-explicit and sending out sexually-explicit emails to one’s co-workers can be classified as sexual harassment. Sexual harassment in the workplace can lead to lawsuits. Fortunately, there are ways that employers can deter sexual harassment in the workplace. Below are some tips that will help you:
- Set Rules: One of the key things that you can do to deter sexual harassment in the workplace is to set rules. Make sure that your employees know that any form of sexual harassment will not be tolerated. You should also let your employees know that there will be serious consequences for sexual harassment. You should also talk to your employees regularly and monitor the workplace environment in order to ensure that it stays harrassment-free.
- Proper Training: You may want to consider having a sexual harassment training at your work place at least once a year. Your employees need to have a clear understanding of what sexual harassment is. There are a number of behaviors that seem innocent, but they could be classified as sexual harassment. That is why sexual harassment training is so important.
- Encourage Employees to Talk About Sexual Harassment: Many people who have been a victim of sexual harassment will not tell anyone about it. However, you should encourage your employees to inform you if they have been a victim of sexual harassment. Make sure that you let your employees know that reporting sexual harassment will not have any impact on their job. Many employers are reluctant to speak about sexual harassment because they believe that they will lose their jobs.
Furthermore, it is important to take every sexual harassment complaint seriously. Investigate the situations thoroughly and try to get them resolved as quickly as possible.
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