Yesterday’s Advisor offered advice for HR managers on what to do when there’s a hint of trouble, like harassment or racial teasing. Today, a look at the bigger question—why the problems weren’t reported.
Situations such as those mentioned in yesterday’s Advisor — a boss hitting on a subordinate or racial teasing— should have been formally reported through existing channels, says attorney Thomas N. Makris, counsel at the Sacramento, California, office of the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. The fact that they only surfaced “through the grapevine” is a concern, says Makris.
When serious situations are not reported, be sure to step back and take a look at the bigger picture. Why weren’t these situations reported? It suggests that you need to do additional harassment training for all employees, says Makris.
Training not only reinforces what employees need to know; equally important, it helps communicate to employees that management considers these issues important and is truly committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination.
What Should You Train On?
The N.Y. State Governor’s Office of Employee Relations recommends the following training.
For all employees:
- Definition and terminology associated with sexual harassment
- Actions that could be considered sexual harassment
- How to prevent and stop sexual harassment
- How to determine what situations are, or could develop into, a sexual harassment problem
- How the organization’s specific complaint and disciplinary procedures work
In addition, for supervisors
- How to identify situations and behaviors that could be perceived as sexual harassment
- Supervisor’s obligations and responsibilities to create and maintain a harassment-free work environment
- Specific strategies for preventing and eliminating sexual harassment in the workplace
- How to respond to allegations of sexual harassment
- Specific strategies to promote healing after allegations of sexual harassment
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Dealing with harassment is never easy. In fact, let’s face it, hardly anything in HR is easy. And it’s especially difficult in a small department, where one or two people have to do it all, from investigations to succession planning to recruiting to training to recordkeeping to FMLA management. How can anyone possibly handle it?
We asked our editors if there was any special help directed right at the smaller—or even one-person—HR office. They say Managing an HR Department of One is unique in addressing the special pressures small HR departments face. Here are some of the features included:
—Tutorial on how HR supports organizational goals. This section explains how to probe for what your top management really wants and how to build credibility in your ability to deliver it.
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—Overview of compliance responsibilities, through a really useful 2-page chart of 21 separate laws that HR needs to comply with. These range from the well-known Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and FMLA to lesser known but equally critical rules such as Executive Order 11246. Also included are federal and state posting requirements. (Proper postings are among the first things a visiting inspector looks for … especially now that the minimum wage has been changing repeatedly.)
—Training guidelines. No matter what your company size, expect to do training. Some of it is required by law. Some of it is just good business sense. Managing an HR Department of One walks you through how to train efficiently and effectively, for the least time and money.
—Prewritten forms, policies, and checklists. These are enormous work-savers! Managing an HR Department of One has 46 such forms, from job apps and background check sheets to performance appraisals and leave requests, in both paper and on CD. The CD lets you easily customize any form with your company’s name and specifics.
If you’d like a more complete look at what Managing an HR Department of One covers, click the Table of Contents link below. Or better yet, take a look at the entire program. We’ll send it to you for 30 days’ evaluation in your own office with no obligation to buy. Let us know, and we’ll be happy to make the arrangements.
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