Prevent and deal with sexual harassment in your workplace.
As an employer, you have a responsibility to maintain a workplace that is free of sexual harassment. Although it is your legal obligation, it also makes good business sense. If you allow this type of behavior to occur in the workplace, you will pay a high price in poor employee morale, low productivity, and lawsuits. We’ve rounded up some must-know tips to help protect your business and team from sexual harassment.
- Adopt a clear sexual harassment policy. Your business should make it clear to the team that there is a zero-tolerance policy to sexual harassment. Within the employee handbook, you should define sexual harassment, make it clear that you will not tolerate it, state how you will investigate claims, and what punishable action may take place.
- Train your team. At least once a year, conduct training sessions for employees. These sessions should teach employees what sexual harassment is, explain that employees have the right to work free of this behavior, review your complaint procedure, and encourage employees to come forward.
- Train supervisors and managers. Managers and supervisors should be trained at least once a year, separate from the employee sessions. The sessions should educate the managers and supervisors about sexual harassment, how to spot issues, and how to deal with complaints.
In addition to having a sexual harassment policy and employee training, you should talk to your insurance agent about obtaining Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI). This type of coverage protects businesses against claims or lawsuits filed by employees. The team at McCarty Insurance are here to help you navigate your way to a reliable insurance policy. Contact us today to get started.
