For a company to repair a damaged reputation and protect its bottom line, the way it responds to allegations of widespread sexism and discrimination in the workplace is essential. Therefore, every company must provide appropriate diversity and sexual harassment training. There is a widespread belief that a company’s response reflects the industry’s commitment to fixing a culture that is founded on stereotypes, biases, and exclusion.

How To Protect Employees with Diversity & Sexual Harassment Training

Women are still largely underrepresented in every industry worldwide 50 years after John F. Kennedy passed the first equal pay laws and 20 years after companies designed their first gender diversity plans.

Your company can support diversity and its employees’ well-being through diversity training and sexual harassment training.

Diversity In The Workplace

As well as significantly enhancing the living standards and spending power of women, gender diversity also boosts the productivity and success of organizations. In the workplace, gender diversity has the following advantages:

• Broadening Employee Talent: It is undeniable that different individuals have different talents, skills, and attributes, which may contribute to the success of an organization.
• Productivity will increase: An organization with a diverse pool of talents will undoubtedly record an increase in productivity.
• Financial Returns: Increased productivity and employee engagement that comes from workplace gender diversity lead to better financial performance.

How To Implement Diversity Training

For an organization to succeed, its employees need access to the right tools and support, starting with basic diversity awareness and continuing with the development of useful diversity skills. To maximize the development and performance of all employees, these tools should minimize the risk of legal repercussions in the event of diversity-based discrimination. 

Two categories of diversity training exist, which are awareness-based and skill-based.

In awareness-based diversity training, diversity sensitizers are usually used as part of training for employees, providing them with information about the necessity for embracing diversity. The program helps employees become aware of their own biases regarding others and their own cultural assumptions. In this type of diversity training, experiential exercises and case studies are used. 

With skill-based diversity courses, the intent is to develop and improve employees’ capabilities in dealing with diversity. The proficiency stage is reached through the use of various tools. Employees are trained in these types of courses in order to improve their communication skills, cultural awareness, and adaptability.  

Sexual Harassment Training

Teaching true diversity in business is an important thing. But showing a true effort to enhancing the workplace environment for all employees, is ensuring that the workplace is safe.

When someone with power or authority targets another (e.g., a manager or a supervisor), they are engaging in quid pro quo harassment. The classic example of quid pro quo harassment would be if a supervisor threatened to terminate an employee for not having sex with him or her.

Along with diversity training, sexual harassment training, which covers scenarios like the above, must be offered. Only through appropriate training will employees know they have the support of the company and its policies.