The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) identifies several core principles generally proven as effective in preventing and addressing harassment: 

• Committed and engaged leadership; 

• Consistent and demonstrated accountability; 

• Strong and comprehensive harassment policies; 

• Trusted and accessible complaint procedures; and 

• Regular, interactive training tailored to the audience and the organization. 

All of the above are essential components of a successful prevention strategy, but only where employees are aware (and supportive) of them. Training all employees ensures a workforce that understands not only company policies/procedures, but expectations and consequences.  

An effective training program includes, among other things: 

• Strong support by senior leaders; 

• Repetition; 

• Tailoring to the company’s specific workplace and workforce (e.g., relevant languages, daily experiences, unique work, workforce and workplace characteristics); 

• Qualified interactive trainers or active engagement video-training. 

Employers may also consider offering additional preventative trainings that include workplace civility/respectful workplace training and/or bystander intervention training. Additional prevention resources include the EEOC’s Checklists and Chart of Risk Factors for Employers.