Sexual Harassment Training for Managers

Understand how harassment constitutes discrimination through words, signs, jokes, or actions toward employees based on protected characteristics and the resulting employer liability.

Explore other types of workplace harassment beyond gender and sexual behavior, including racial harassment, gender harassment, religious harassment, disability-based harassment, sexual orientation harassment, age-based harassment, and physical harassment, with examples.

Identify and distinguish two legal forms of sexual harassment—quid pro quo and a hostile work environment—in the workplace, with examples and recognition cues for managers.

Explore who can be the perpetrator of sexual harassment in the workplace—coworkers, supervisors, and third parties like vendors, clients, or visitors—and examine traits like the dark triad and moral disengagement.

Learn how workplace sexual harassment can occur anywhere employees perform duties, including fieldwork, travel, and off-site events, as well as office parties and conferences.

Report harassment to management or the designated person using the complaint form, cooperate with investigations, and escalate to the EEOC if you encounter an inappropriate response.

Master active bystander strategies to prevent sexual harassment, report suspected incidents to a supervisor or designee, and apply direct, distract, and delegate interventions from the Green Dot program.

Supervisors must report harassment to the employer, even if no one objects or the harassed individual asks that it not be reported; failure to report or retaliation leads to discipline.

The supervisor's responsibility is to model appropriate workplace behavior, enforce a zero-tolerance harassment policy, and establish confidential reporting to protect employees and reduce liability.

Learn to handle sexual harassment claims with empathy and calm, conduct a policy-based investigation with HR, protect confidentiality, deter retaliation, and apply timely disciplinary actions.

Conduct sexual harassment investigations with two investigators in private, gathering facts through interview notes, policy reviews, witness credibility assessments, and a chronological, corrective-action report.

Ask comprehensive questions to complainants, alleged harassers, and third parties to uncover who, what, when, where, and how, while maintaining fact-finding, reviewing notes and evidence, and avoiding leading questions.

Identify abuse by authority figures and understand how power can influence careers, performance evaluations, harassment, and the creation of a hostile or offensive work environment, including intimidation.

Take reasonable steps to protect workers from victimization by handling harassment complaints fairly and swiftly. Recognize diverse emotional and physical reactions to harassment; support employees to heal and stay productive.

Ensure complainant confidentiality and handle investigations on a need-to-know basis with secure HR files. Offer anonymous complaint options via a box, protect from retaliation, and consult corporate counsel for guidance.

Conduct face-to-face conversations with the accused, use open-ended questions, document all statements, and consider a third party observer to discuss the seriousness of a sexual harassment complaint and disciplinary actions.

As an employer, create a harassment-free and equal work environment by supporting the reluctant victim, taking concerns seriously, providing claims-process information, and listening empathetically.

Explain why retaliation against employees who engage in protected activities around sexual harassment claims is illegal, and outline steps to prevent retaliation, including policy, communication, confidentiality, and documentation.

Case study on not taking 'no' for an answer shows how persistent workplace dating advances after rejection constitute sexual harassment, with HR reporting, investigation, and possible disciplinary action.

In this case study, a supervisor makes explicit sexual remarks about an employee's appearance, illustrating workplace harassment and objectification, and underscores the need to report inappropriate conduct and management accountability.

Examine how gender-based harassment is addressed through anti-harassment policies and complaint channels. Navigate Vanessa's experiences of insults and vandalism, and see how the employer enforces policies and conducts investigations.

Explore how escalating boundary violations, from leaning close to touching, constitute harassment. Learn why Mary should report the actions to feel safe in the workplace.

Examine a supervisor’s coercive quid pro quo behavior, its impact on promotion decisions, and the resulting hostile work environment, with guidance for managers on reporting harassment.

Explore how gender stereotypes fuel harassment when a boss mocks a male employee for jewelry, highlighting discrimination based on sex, perceived sexual orientation, retaliation, and the right to report.

Learn how new york state laws require mandatory sexual harassment prevention policies and annual training for all employees, including contractors, with a model policy, complaint procedures, and retaliation protections.

Delaware state law HB 360, enacted in 2018, requires sexual harassment training for employees and supervisors. It mandates an information sheet, outlines remedies and retaliation prohibitions, and sets training timelines.