Harassment Prevention in the Workplace (CO220)

For employers, prevention is the key to avoiding illegal harassment on the job, including sexual, racial, religious, ethnic, age, disability, and other types of harassment. This interactive, one-day workshop examines the legal and policy concerns related to this complex workplace issue. You will review and explore:

• Inappropriate behavior that leads to harassment
• Laws, agency interpretations, and court cases
• Strategies for preventing harassment
• Harassment at the individual, group, interpersonal, and organizational level
• How to detect and resolve problem situations to avoid complaints and lawsuits
• Options for devising preventive education and training

Key Topics

What is unlawful harassment?

• The scope and range of inappropriate conduct
• Contrasting social with workplace behaviors
• Achieving mutual respect in the workplace

Legal requirements

• Current federal, state, and local legal issues
• Current EEOC guidelines
• Understanding Supreme Court cases: Oncale, Ellerth, and Faragher
• The difference between sexual harassment and other types of illegal harassment

Employer responsibilities and employee rights

• Aligning policies to your organization's mission
• Defining roles and responsibilities of managers
• Developing procedures that will work
• Collaborating with legal staff and supporting managers
• Overview of conducting investigations

Addressing harassment

• Individual strategies for resolving conflict
• Taking appropriate action
• Avoiding retaliation