Roll Out The Same Old Harassment Training? THINK AGAIN!
Are your employees receiving the same harassment prevention training year after year? When did you last update your workplace training materials? If it has been a while since your training was revised, your messaging may have gotten stale, the examples may be out of date, and the content may not be meeting your state or local legal requirements.
Training materials drafted years ago may not address current social issues like bias and transgender harassment. Materials created during COVID may have highlighted remote work issues and materials drafted during election years may have focused more on politically based disrespectful behavior. Today’s training materials need to reflect today’s social climate. That not only includes fundamental discussions of respect, but also addresses issues of bias, mental health, hybrid workplaces, and generational differences and recognizes diversity and inclusion efforts as critical to successful workplaces.
Moreover, states and cities require employers to include new content and language in their training programs. For example, New York State employers are required to train employees annually on harassment prevention skills. And the New York State guidance on the content of that training has recently been expanded in a few key respects, including:
More consistent emphasis on the prevention of harassment based on all protected characteristics (not just sex);
Clarifying the protections that apply across the gender spectrum and ensuring all employees are familiar with applicable terminology;
Emphasizing the role of bystanders in stopping harassing behaviors and supporting individuals who have been targets of harassing behavior; and
Referencing the State’s new sexual harassment prevention hotline.
Organizations don’t roll out the same IT or compliance training year after year – because the laws change, issues morph, and challenges evolve. In order for harassment prevention training to be most impactful (and legally compliant), it also needs to be revised and updated, and employees need opportunities to think through current issues and how their behavior is affecting their workplace.