Harassment FAQs
What is harassment?
Harassment comes in many forms but Sexual Harassment specifically is defined as “unwelcome verbal, visual or physical conduct that is severe or pervasive and affects working conditions or creates a hostile working environment”
I know harassment is bad, but is it illegal?
Yes, any type of harassment becomes illegal when it is based upon a person’s sex, race, religion, color, national origin, age (over 40) or disability.
Workplace harassment only really happens in Hollywood or big corporations, right?
Wrong! In 2017 the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) received 26,978 complaints and assigned $125.5 Million in resolutions.
We have a harassment policy in our handbook so, we’re good, right?
We recommend sitting down and going through your policy with your employees on day one of their employment and providing harassment training to all staff and managers on an annual basis.
How do I protect my employees if harassment is taking place via text or social media?
You can’t! Not unless you take the time to educate your employees on the importance of reporting workplace harassment to HR or a manager.
