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.