Insider’s Guide to Anti-Harassment Training: Safeguard Your Organization and Team

Post - Insider’s Guide to Anti-Harassment Training: Safeguard Your Organization and Team

showd.me makes it easy for your team to access and complete anti-harassment training – including bystander training – with online courses available over email and SMS and in multiple languages.

As a business owner, you want to create a workplace that attracts and retains top talent, fosters creativity and supports growth. Unfortunately, workplace harassment can undermine these goals, creating an uncomfortable and potentially toxic environment for employees. 

But here's the good news: you can prevent and change that.

With effective anti-harassment training, you can take a crucial step toward creating a safe and inclusive workplace for your employees. Here’s what you need to know to empower your employees to recognize, prevent and report harassment.

 

How common is harassment in the workplace?

Between 2018 and 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received 98,411 charges alleging general harassment and 27,291 sexual harassment charges. This came after the #MeToo movement in October 2017, which led to a significant increase in sexual harassment charges up until the pandemic in 2020.

Stop Harassment sign

How showd.me can help reduce workplace stress

That said, most workplace harassment often goes unreported. Consider the following stats from an EEOC Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace

  • Over 85% of people who experience sexual harassment never file a formal legal charge

  • About 70% of employees never complain about harassment internally

This is especially true in jobs where employees speak little English, such as in home healthcare and in restaurants. 

Educating your team on identifying and preventing sexual harassment is key to creating a healthy workplace culture and employee retention.

What’s Effective Anti-Harassment and Bystander Training?

Anti-harassment training raises awareness of what’s considered harassment, how to prevent it and what to do if you witness it. Making training easy, engaging and accessible with online training ensures your whole team learns these key lessons.

Sometimes employees don't even realize they're engaging in harassing behaviors. Targeted team members often don’t know how to respond. By providing easy-to-access, clear and effective training to employees and managers, you can support your team while avoiding costly complaints, violations and lawsuits.

Where Training Is Required

Certain cities and states require employers to provide sexual harassment training for employees. Others encourage training.

California requires two hours of anti-harassment training for supervisors and one hour of training for employees every two years.

Connecticut requires two hours of training for employees and supervisors within six months of hire.

Delaware requires companies with 50 or more employees to provide anti-harassment training within a year of hiring and every two years after that.

Illinois requires employers of 15 or more people to train all employees every year. Separately, Chicago requires two hours of anti-harassment training for supervisors, one hour of employee training every year, and an additional hour of bystander intervention training for all employees. The first bystander training must happen by July 1, 2023.

Maine requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide anti-harassment training within a year of hiring. 

Washington D.C. requires companies with tipped employees to provide training within 90 days of hiring.

New York and New York City require anti-harassment training for all employees every year. New York City limits this to companies that employ 15 or more employees and requires training within 90 days of hire. New York released updated training requirements in April 2023.

Washington State requires employers in specific industries, like hospitality, retail, security, and property service contractors, to give employees a list of harassment prevention resources and a panic button.

In addition to these legal requirements, the following states encourage employers to provide this training: Colorado, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont.

In every other state, anti-harassment training is considered a best practice.

Engaging training anti-harassment videos 

Watch a sample of our anti-harassment training on our YouTube channel.

How showd.me can help reduce workplace stress

Over 92 percent of employees prefer online training over in-person training. showd.me makes that easy for you!

  1. With proper training, your team members will know how to address uncomfortable situations and how to report them without feeling like they have to go along with inappropriate behavior.

  2. Training allows employees to feel safe and be more productive. Relationships at every level are far better because employees won’t feel they have to accept unacceptable behavior.

  3. Raising awareness of harassment allows employees to feel more comfortable discussing their concerns and addressing poor behavior before it escalates. This is crucial to improving attendance and decreasing turnover.

 

Training: In-Person or Online?

Online training, like compliance training from showd.me, ensures all employees are trained with minimal disruption to the business. Instead of closing your restaurant or gathering your healthcare team for in-person training, online training can be completed on demand. Training accessible over SMS and email makes it easy to complete the course.

You can also track online training completion to ensure you meet anti-harassment compliance requirements.

 

Create a Safe Culture in Your Workplace

By educating employees on what constitutes harassment, how to prevent it, and how to respond if it occurs, you help create a supportive and safe workplace for everyone.

If you’re ready to implement a high-quality anti-harassment program, we’re here to help. Sign up now or schedule a demo at your convenience.

showd.me provides the right training, to the right employee, at the right time. 

Click the button below to request a demo today!

Engaging training anti-harassment videos 

Watch a sample of our anti-harassment training on our YouTube channel.

How showd.me can help reduce workplace stress

Over 92 percent of employees prefer online training over in-person training. showd.me makes that easy for you!

  • On-demand, educational, personal, and professional development

  • Engaging content with over 90% completion rates

  • On-demand compliance made easy

  • Seamless onboarding and orientation training

  • White glove support with a dedicated account manager 

  • Available in multiple languages

showd.me provides the right training, to the right employee, at the right time. 

Click the button below to request a demo today!

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See how showdme's unique service-first approach to training helps hundreds of healthcare organizations ensure compliance. Request a demo today!