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Benefits of harassment training

Building a business from the ground up can be quite difficult.  There are so many pieces to the puzzle, it can almost feel impossible to fit them all together.  The amount of moving parts involved requires a delicate balancing act.

We don’t want anything to jeopardize our lives’ work.  This includes disagreements and more serious incidents that occur between personnel.  It requires careful and deliberate work to create a positive work environment. 

Even small attitude problems that arise can threaten this.  That’s why training sessions regarding policy, industry standards, and laws are so important.  If you’re not convinced just yet, I understand.  That’s why I’m going to explain some of the benefits of this training.

The Question of Priorities vs. Ethics

This has almost always been an issue in the business world.  So many people view corporations as soulless entities that don’t care about anyone.  Obviously, you probably don’t want your own business to be lumped in with these thoughts.  

If you pursue something like online harassment training, you can avoid this to some extent.  In fact, promoting education like this generally makes employees feel like they are making a positive impact in the world around them.  They will be less likely to engage in this disruptive acts, and more likely to hold each other accountable.

It’s important to ensure that your management team is on board with these policies.  They should be serving as a positive force and influence in the business.  Additionally, it would be a good idea for leaders to positively reinforce good behavior seen with reward or praise.  

An ethical business encourages workers to feel comfortable raising concerns and filing reports on the off chance that something awful like sexual harassment does occur.  All in all, training helps you strike that balance between business priorities and ethics.

Reputation

Inherently, humans are creatures that like to gossip.  Inevitably, no matter how under wraps a situation might be, word will spread.  If your business is repeatedly found to be in violation of sexual harassment laws, it will most likely be fined and maybe even investigated.

Some details on these laws can be found here, and it is probably a good idea to get familiar with them.  This is an important part of training, in fact.  This way, your employees will know exactly what is considered to be a “hostile” work environment.  Hopefully, this will inspire them to create the opposite.

While a fine may not seem like the end of the world, it unfortunately will most likely not stop there.  As more people find out about the incident, more and more groups may start to investigate.  This can include news outlets, but also potential investors and clients.  Obviously, that would not be good for profits in the long term.

However, if your business has a positive culture around harassment training and reporting, it will often result in getting a positive reputation in those same circles I mentioned before.  Clients and investors are more interested in working with a business or organization that demonstrates its values in tangible ways.  

You may even consider hiring a social media manager to promote said values on apps such as Facebook, Twitter, or TikTok.  Posts should always demonstrate and reflect the core ethos of your company.  Mentioning a commitment to training sessions, such as harassment or diversity training, can have a positive impact.

Less Risk of Non Compliance

I saved perhaps the most valuable perk of investing in training sessions for last.  If you establish a way to track records and certifications in compliance, it encourages more employees to adhere to these rules. 

Very few people want to get in trouble at their job.  An example of required personnel training can be found here: https://universityethics.psu.edu/resources-training.  Obviously, that’s not the only case – just one that seems relevant given that it is from a renown university.  Clearly, diversity and compliance training are well respected practices.

If you have a method of tracking the dates of compliance training, you can determine when your employees were last taught.  You can also follow any logged non compliance in such a system.  Automating this is probably the easiest way, but you can always do it manually as well.

Training is Invaluable

So – I’ve discussed many of the perks of providing, and even requiring, compliance and harassment training for your employees.  Honestly, I can not think of any real drawbacks here.  Education is quite often the best tool for prevention.

If you’re feeling uncertain, that’s okay.  This is a big step for a business to take, but I think it’s really important when you’re juggling a startup.  Complications and reports sent to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission can be devastating for a business.  The reputation hit alone is significant.  Prevent these incidents before they happen by training employees in these topics.

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