Employee Services > Benefits and HR Managers > Training >Human Cost of Harassment

1. DESCRIPTION:

The harassment wellness seminar (1 hour program) is designed to be used independently with a specific group or as a part of a series of programs for employees in general who are undergoing changes in their policies and procedures regarding company guidelines in this specific area. For example, this program could be linked with valuing diversity, violence in the workplace, or managing corporate change.

The seminar is upbeat, practical, and informative with most of the materials gathered from experts around the nation, recent studies, or materials currently published in the areas of harassment and sexual harassment. Because of the sensitive and serious nature of this topic, when it is used with a group which has directly experienced these issues, the tone of the seminar is both authoritative and clinical (citing legal issues and the effects of this issue on individuals and the workplace).

2. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:

The overall objective of the course is to provide participants with an accurate expansive view of the major issues associated with the whole topic of harassment with particular emphasis on the inappropriateness of harassment in the workplace. Particular emphasis is placed on sexual harassment and the legal and social implications of this behavior in the workplace. The goal is to provide them with a clearer perspective of their own particular situation as it relates to the impact of the behaviors on co-workers, managers, the site, customers, and the overall company. The personal and professional liabilities of these actions are highlighted so the participants are aware of the dangers and repercussions of these issues on all levels of the organization.

3. DESIGNS:

The course is designed to move the participants to a clearer understanding of the content and impact of harassment as it applies to actions taking place in the workplace. It helps them to define and understand what harassment is, how it takes form through actions and behaviors, how it effects others, why it is so damaging and what are the results of these actions on both the perpetrator and the recipient. The seminar also addresses appropriate behavior in terms of employee interactions and ways to reduce the risk of it occurring in the workplace. The participants use questionnaires, are engaged in discussion, are provided with statistics and government mandates, and are encouraged to apply the principles of the seminar to their own situation and values.

4. MATERIALS:

For the seminar, the following materials will be required:

  1. An overhead projector (or LCD) and screen
  2. A newsprint flip chart with markers
  3. Packets of materials (handout materials) for each participant
  4. Pencils (for each participant)

5. CURRICULUM OUTLINE:

THE HUMAN COST OF HARASSMENT:

  1. INTRODUCTION
    1. Purpose of the Seminar (Goals and Objectives)
    2. Overview of the Agenda and Materials (pre-test)
  2. THE CURRENT SITUATION
    1. National Studies and the Key Issues
    2. Defining Sexual Harassment (legal terms)
  3. THE THREE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF HARASSMENT
    1. Unwelcomed Conduct
    2. Can Occur at all Levels
    3. Has an Emotional Impact (on victim and workplace)
  4. THE FORMS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
    1. Physical
    2. Non-Verbal
    3. Verbal
  5. THE PREVENTION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
    1. Are My Own Actions Clear?
    2. Is My Behavior Unwelcome?
    3. How to Stop Unwanted Sexual Attraction
    4. The Role of the Supervisor
    5. The Role of the Victim
  6. WHAT HAVE YOUR LEARNED
    1. Summary
    2. Post Test
    3. Questions and Answers
    4. Resources and the Role of the EAP