Most
businesses regard harassment training as a necessary evil, like taxes, and a
few others see it as something to avoid, like taxes. Rarely does an executive team consider the
positive aspects of the training as an important tool in reaching a company’s
goals.
Reduce
Costs
The old
saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” applies to
harassment training because it’s costly to deal with these situations once
they’re out of hand. Legal costs can get
a lot of attention because of astronomical amounts awarded but there are also
very real and very large hidden expenses in terms of lost productivity and
miserable morale.
While
some managers argue that there is lost productivity while employees are in training
sessions, that amount is negligible compared to what can happen as coworkers
discuss the situation, divide into camps, and alter their workplace habits to
adjust to a harassment situation. This
behavior can be a coping mechanism in a workplace where the harassment is still
secret or not generally known. If the
situation has become public, the loss of productivity is greater as employees
work through their reactions in the formal and informal processes.
Increase
Profits
A company
that invests in training sends a message of commitment to employees and
customers and therefore creates a better relationship with both groups.
Employees
who are comfortable in the workplace because they feel appreciated by upper
management will work harder for longer periods of time compared to employees
who feel the need to protect themselves in their environment.
In
addition, customers who do not experience awkward moments during interactions
with company representatives are more likely to remain customers. Company representatives are the “face” of the
company and, in harassment situations, they characterize the entire company as
difficult to deal with at best or targets for lawsuits at worst.
Improve
Morale
No two
employees are alike. Their backgrounds,
opinions, and expectations are all unique and the benefits of training include
a safe, moderated environment in which to build a healthy set of interaction
guidelines.
Without
formal training, employees will develop their interactions by trial and error
alone. The errors have a strong
possibility of reducing morale and creating a negative workplace atmosphere. On the other hand, formal, interactive
training can serve as a powerful team building tool that can be carried into
the workplace.
With
training, employees can share their expectations of one another while
minimizing the effects of their differences.
The facilitator can help people with differing perspectives avoid serious
arguments and learn to appreciate each other’s viewpoints. Such practice can train them to share their
unique approaches in the workplace to contribute differing skills and
information in a productive mode.
It’s
worth considering the benefits of harassment training for many reasons, not the
least of which is to provide each employee with the best possible chance to do
the best job possible.
