We get it. You have enough on your plate to add one more task, especially a mandated anti-sexual harassment training. Ugh! This may be worse than being forced to eat vegetables when you were a kid!

When I started working at Gillespie Associates last July, I was shocked to learn I, too, had to take the training. Sure, it’s important I see what our clients experience, but I already know all there is to know about sexual harassment—I am a woman after all. Why should I be forced to learn something about which I’m already an expert? Besides, I would never sexually harass anyone, so I shouldn’t be punished along with the perpetrators who really need this kind of training. Right? 

Wrong. 

The Process of Discovering How Much We Don’t Know
It turns out I don’t know all there is to know about anti-sexual harassment. For example, I didn’t realize there doesn’t have to be physical touching to be considered sexual harassment. Sending lewd texts, sharing sexual exploits when it makes others uncomfortable, or even telling sexually explicit jokes are all considered forms of sexual harassment. (Uh-oh, I may have told a dirty joke or two at past jobs. Who knew?) 

You, too, may think you understand what sexual harassment is and that you don’t need to take time out of your already-too-busy schedule. You haven’t done anything wrong. But how do you know for sure? Maybe this makes me sound like a boring, goody-two-shoes, but I believe it’s better to learn as much as I can about how my behavior may affect other people, because in the long run, if everyone around me is happy that makes my work life—and yours—much more pleasant.

Cha Ching!
Speaking of company success, productivity affects your company’s bottom line, and staff satisfaction affects productivity. Employees who are uncomfortable in the work environment and distracted by unwanted attention and behavior are not working to their best potential. It’s in your best interest to make sure all staff are provided with a workplace where they feel acknowledged, part of the team, and safe. Their success is ultimately your success. 

It’s also important to keep in mind that if you don’t provide employees training and confirm they completed it, you could face fines. No, an auditor dressed like death won’t come knocking on your office door to look at your records. However, if an employee files a sexual harassment suit against your company and you don’t have records verifying proof of training completion, you will not have an affirmative defense in a courtroom. (This is a fancy way of saying you won’t have a legal leg to stand on.) By the way, the average fine levied against a company for sexual harassment cases is $300,000. This is not the maximum fine or even the median, but the average fine. Ouch!

Be a Part of the Solution
Sexual harassment affects companies across every industry: the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported 76,418 charges filed in 2018. Taking the training and providing the training for your staff enables your company and employees to be a part of the solution.

Sweeten the Deal 
Not sure how to ensure your staff takes the training? Here are some ideas you can try to encourage your team’s willing participation.

Create a game or team-building exercise. Take the opportunity to make learning more interesting and bring your team together in the same room. For example, set a deadline for staff to complete the online training and then schedule a staff meeting or retreat. Create a game to test your staff’s knowledge about what they’ve learned. Not only will your staff have more fun dealing with a difficult topic, they are likely to remember the material better.
Make it a friendly competition. Is your office too big or too small for games? Perhaps you could reward the first person (or the first ten people) who complete the training with a prize such as time off or a gift certificate.
Throw an office party. Set a deadline, and if your team completes the training by that date, throw an office party. It could be as simple as a pizza delivery or as complex as taking the team out to a favorite restaurant or a sporting event.

Any of these ideas will help you teach your staff valuable information while acknowledging their effort. And you get to celebrate a small win, which helps build team cohesion. 

Why Choose Us?
The Gillespie Associates-Leadership Logic team wants to make your mandated training experience as easy as possible. We provide several training options, including on-line and in-person presentations that your staff can complete in about an hour. We also make it simple to purchase and administer our training, and I am a phone call or email away to support you if you have any problems or questions.

It’s a tough world out there and you have a lot to get done in a day. Let us help you make this mandate a more pleasant one.