Philosophy
The core objectives of training is to help employees and managers enhance their on-the-job performance and limit employer liability. To do this, we have developing programs that are based on modern, proven learning principles, and practices.
Preventing discrimination, harassment, and retaliation from occurring in the workplace in the first place is our goal. It is always preferable to avoid these issues over attempting to mitigate the consequences after the fact. We provide a variety of training to assist both employers and employees in understanding what conduct or behavior is prohibited and how best to prevent that conduct or behavior from occurring. Our goal is to help companies and their employees and managers know their legal rights and responsibilities.
- Training is critical in this day and age. Not just top management, but all who are supervisors need to be trained concerning harassment and discrimination, workplace conduct, applicable law and organizational policy. It is a frequent occurrence that in a discrimination or harassment action a manager will be forced to testify that they have not had such training with the organization (or have not had such training for a number of years), or that such training was briefly sandwiched in a meeting with human resource representatives that was devoted to every generalist aspect of the human resource operations. In other words, we spent
some brief time addressing harassment over the course of a one day meeting three years ago. A common response and a sign of trouble in defending the action. - Training needs to address disability discrimination, reasonable accommodation and the interactive process in a manner that the law requires to assist the employee and avoid employer liability.
- Training needs to address an employee’s obligation to recognize and avoid what may constitute harassment in the workplace.
- Training also needs to provide managers and supervisors with the skills and mechanisms to handle potential discrimination and harassment as it takes place. A supervisor cannot be a “deer in headlights” when workplace conduct requires immediate investigation, and potentially, immediate remedial action.
- Training should include avoidance of retaliation or what may appear as retaliation.
- Training must include policies and actions aimed at the avoidance of disclosure of confidential personal information
- Periodic training can also be geared to the needs of the organization and compliance with the law and its own policies.
How Your Organization Benefits from On-site Training:
- Achieve your specific organizational training goals and minimize liability while creating a positive work environment for all.
- Minimize employees’ downtime by eliminating off-site travel.
- Expedite the transfer of learning by including real world examples from your workplace.
- Deliver consistent messaging to participating employees.
- Schedule training when it works best for you.
- Promote teamwork within your workforce.
Training is More Important Than Ever
The law forbids discrimination in every aspect of employment. Discrimination Prevention and Training covers categories protected by federal, state, and local laws. It also explains prohibited employment practices, including unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation and details the investigation process, what constitutes an adequate investigation, and importance of a neutral investigator.
Training includes:
- A review and discussion of harassment and discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, sex (including sexual harassment), pregnancy, age, disability, and sexual orientation.
- Why there must be clear assurance that employees who make complaints or provide information related to complaints will be protected against retaliation and how to provide these assurances.
- The importance of a clear complaint process that provides multiple, accessible avenues of complaint.
- Importance of assurance that the employer will protect the confidentiality of harassment complaints to the extent possible.
- The importance of conducting a prompt, thorough, impartial, and adequate investigation of all harassment or discrimination complaints and the benefits of having a neutral investigator to conduct that investigation.
- Value of taking immediate and appropriate corrective action when it is determined that harassment has occurred.
Discrimination, Sexual and Other Forms of Harassment, and Retaliation Training
- Obligation to Prevent Harassment and Discrimination: What Every Employee Must Know
- Obligation to Prevent Harassment and Discrimination: What Every Manager/Supervisor Must Know
- What to do when Receiving Reports of Conduct That May Be Harassing or Discriminatory
- Avoiding Retaliation and Appearance of Retaliation
- Social Media and Organizational Policies
Workplace Investigations Training
- Mentoring to all levels of management on conducting effective workplace investigations
- Group training on how to conduct an effective workplace investigation
- What constitutes and “adequate” investigation