Workplace harassment takes many forms, including sexual and racial harassment, and it can be extremely tricky to determine which behaviors constitute harassment and which do not. Deciding how to respond appropriately to complaints of harassment can be just as tricky. This course shines light on the many gray areas of harassment and provides concrete suggestions for handling risky workplace situations.

The stakes are very high as more and more employees bring claims of harassment—in all its forms—and employers increasingly become bogged down in protracted and costly litigation. In the event of litigation, the fact that you have conducted this training can help reduce your legal exposure by supporting an affirmative defense that you made a good-faith effort to prevent harassment. This defense can help to insulate your company from punitive damages or avoid litigation altogether.

A California version of “Risky Business: Preventing Harassment” is available for California’s AB 1825 legislation requiring mandatory harassment prevention training.

This course is also available as a 1/2 day module for Putting the Law to Work for Managers and Supervisors.

topics

Employee Course

• What constitutes harassment and what does not
• Subtle issues in sexual harassment, including dating and office romances
• Recognizing other forms of harassment
• Liability for nonemployees—such as vendors or clients—and for off-premises conduct by employees
• How to report harassment
• Retaliation-proof harassment reporting

Manager/Supervisor Course

In addition to the basics covered in the employee course, this course focuses on the particular skills that managers and supervisors need to:

1. Handle harassment complaints and take appropriate action
2. Prevent retaliation for harassment reporting

who should attend?

• Employees
• Human resources professionals
• Legal staff
• Managers and supervisors