Increased demand for training on sexual harassment

Online training provider, High Speed Training has reported a 300 per cent increase in demand for its courses on sexual harassment.

It said that demand has risen in the months leading up to the new legal obligations under the Worker Protection Act, which came into force on 26 October.

Dr Richard Anderson, head of learning & development commented: "As the Worker Protection Act comes into force, it is essential for businesses to take the steps to prevent sexual harassment in their workplaces, not just due to the legal requirement, but to truly take care of their employees.

"Employers need to put measures in place to empower workers to speak up about sexual harassment and recognise that their employer takes their concerns and report of harassment seriously."

He added: "Our training equips employees and employers with the knowledge to recognise and address inappropriate behaviour. The rise in demand that we are seeing demonstrates that workplaces are increasingly committed to fostering work environments where employees feel protected, valued and empowered to speak up against harassment."

Five steps

High Speed Training points to five steps that employers can take to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace:

1. Conduct a sexual-harassment risk assessment: identify any potential risk areas, review past incidents and evaluate how employees currently act and feel about sexual harassment in the workplace.

   
   

2. Review existing harassment policies: your business will likely already have a formal bullying and harassment policy; check what it says and ensure it includes a section containing the definition of sexual harassment, examples of sexual harassment in the workplace and guidance for employees on what to do if they experience sexual harassment at work.

   
   

3. Educate the workforce about sexual harassment: employers should provide all members of staff with regular training so that they can recognise inappropriate behaviours, prevent them from happening and understand what to do to address and report sexual harassment should it occur.

   
   

4. Establish a ‘speak-up’ culture and remove barriers to reporting harassment: having a clear and simple reporting procedure in place is also a key ‘reasonable step’ towards preventing sexual harassment – remember to document your procedure should you need to prove this.

   
   

5. Set the tone from the top down: everyone, at all levels of the business should be trained about sexual harassment so they feel confident to challenge it and speak up about it. Managers and senior leaders should promote a culture of dignity and respect, set the tone for expected behaviour and challenge ingrained attitudes that are known to be problematic.

   
   

   www.highspeedtraining.co.uk