10 Ways training can help in preventing Sexual Harassment at Workplace

From media personalities to Bollywood celebrities to famous politicians, powerful men are getting busted for imposing themselves on women with whom they work. These scandals are a sobering reminder that sexual harassment remains a persistent and pervasive problem in the Indian workplace. Be it a school, college, Bollywood or hospital, all kinds of workplaces are plagued with sexual harassment. A survey by job site Indeed said 87 percent of women employees and 82 percent male employees would be ready to quit their job if there were any incidents of sexual harassment or biased hiring at their company.

This brings us back to a decades-old psychological question: what triggers such behaviour and what can be done about it? Criminalising the act is one thing but companies are constantly looking for ways to tackle the problem in all possible ways to save oneself from any legal battles. 

One of the most obvious and smartest ways is to impart training to ensure the safety and comfort of all employees. Proactive sexual harassment training can safeguard employees against abuse and protect companies from legal claims. Understanding the legal framework, operation, and redressal mechanism of legislation will empower those who may encounter sexual harassment to recognize and report it appropriately. While we all hope to never experience sexual harassment at work, knowing what to do if it ever appears is crucial for getting the protection you deserve. There are certain benefits of training the employees of an organization to nip this social evil into bud. Few benefits of conducting such training are –

Employees understand the meaning of ‘Sexual Harassment’

The entire hull of sexual harassment scheme lies on understanding what is considered as sexual harassment. Though the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (“the Act”) categorically defines sexual harassment yet it is not always clear as to what constitutes sexual harassment. Can a comment on woman’s look or manner of the dress be considered offensive? When does flirting become sexual harassment? Is it okay to hug your co-workers? Can I ask my co-workers out on a date? Most of the employees in an organisation are not clear if such instances can be considered as sexual harassment. Knowing where a behaviour falls is largely dependent on the situation, the history of the relationship, tone of delivery and non-verbal actions. Therefore, circulation of information, open communication, training, and guidance is of particular importance in educating employees about various facets of sexual harassment. An employee should be able to distinguish between what is acceptable behaviour and what is unacceptable behaviour. This can only come through proper training. It is only when employees understand what can be said and what needs to be curtailed organisations will be able to build safe workplaces.

Defines a strong workplace culture 

Training lays a strong foundation for a sexual harassment-free workplace. A company’s culture is its basic personality. It defines standards of how people work and interact with each other. When we say sexual harassment is embedded in corporate culture, it doesn’t mean that the corporate culture breeds it. It means that companies have been tolerant of such practices and it becomes like a self -sustaining pattern. So by engaging in conducting periodic sexual harassment training companies send out a strong message to the employees that such cases are not taken lightly and call for strict action. Sexual harassment policies are not mere legal documents. They are culturally significant, meaning-making documents that play a crucial role in defining, preventing, and stopping sexual harassment in a company.  

Encourages reporting

Remember, it takes a single harassment case to destroy a working relationship forever. When incidents of harassment and discrimination go unreported it breeds a toxic work environment. This can lead to poor company reviews, lower morale and productivity, hurt recruiting and retention efforts, and negatively affect relationships with customers, partners, and others. The entire purpose of training is to encourage reporting. Employees should feel safe and empowered to report any harassment matter without a hitch. Training is perfect opportunities for companies to formalise and publicise complaint procedures and increase awareness on sexual harassment at the workplace. 

Proper handling of Harassment Cases 

Training allows supervisors and managers to handle harassment cases well correctly. By being equipped with the right knowledge, the management will know how to act effectively to tackle harassment case in the company. Training for the members of the Complaints Committee and others who are going to be instrumental in implementing the policy is very essential. Their training should include a component of gender sensitization, along with the procedures for taking complaints, and for inquiry, etc.

Reduced Compliance Risk

Section 19(c) of the Act categorically states that every employer is required to organise workshops and awareness programs at regular intervals for sensitising employees about the provisions of the Act and any non-compliance can attract a penalty up to INR 50,000. This is a huge financial and legal risk for the company and can have severe consequences for the business. For instance, if an employee takes legal action against their colleague for sexually harassing them, the company will be questioned about whether they trained their workforce to learn anti-harassment laws. If they discover that the employees don’t have the training, the company can face huge financial penalties and tarnish the image of the company.

Fear of penalties and punishment is a great deterrent 

The POSH Act, 2013 has laid down a series of different punishments and penalties for Sexual Harassment. To the organisation, its reputation matters a lot, as does it to its employees. The knowledge of these indictments would make any person want to not lose his/her face in the organisation, society and get convicted as well. The arduous and punishing nature of these crimes is a heavyweight within itself, not to mention the amount of pressure and guilt felt after committing a crime on the dignity of another person. 

Minimise the risk legal claims 

To avoid liability, businesses will usually need to investigate the sexual harassment complaint and to take steps (including employee discipline or termination) to prevent the harassment from continuing or recurring. Sexual harassment training helps supervisors and managers understand their duties when they learn or suspect that sexual harassment has occurred.

Increasing Employee Productivity

Apart from exposing businesses to legal liability, sexual harassment in the workplace makes employees less productive. A 2007 study by three psychologists at the University of Calgary found that sexually harassed employees are less committed to their jobs. Employees who feel valued work harder, while sexually harassed employees are less likely to be productive. Sexual harassment is also responsible for increased rates of absenteeism. The failure to control sexual harassment, therefore, increases an employer’s sick leave costs, including the expense of replacing harassed employees with temporary workers. Any time an experienced employee leaves the job, the employer incurs training costs and a loss of efficiency.

Empowers bystanders 

Bystander intervention training could be a game-changer in the workplace. It creates a sense of collective responsibility on the part of workers and empowers them in preventing harassment. 

Commitment from the top management 

When it comes to the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace, employees demand leadership accountability. By requiring that all employees participate in training regularly, organizations can send a clear message from the top that when it comes to preventing harassment and other abusive behavior and creating a respectful workplace, we’re all in this together. When a leader identifies sexual harassment prevention as an issue that the company prioritizes this pushes other people in the organization to take it seriously as well.

In the recent example of Google, where employees staged to protest the lofty exit packages paid to men accused of misconduct. In response, Sundar Pichai, Google’s chief executive, and Larry Page, chief executive of its parent company, Alphabet, apologized.

There are not many organizations who can conduct quality training program covering topics as varied as rights of the victims at one end and duties of representatives of the employer while processing subject complaints – on the other. We at Ungender create exclusive training programs keeping in mind the values, ethics, culture, and size of your organisation.