More than a few employers expect sexual harassment claims to increase as the floodgates of reporting have opened up, prompting many to revisit their workplace policies and training, according to the i4cp report, “HR & the Weinstein Effect.”

“It’s obvious we’ve entered a new era of zero tolerance on sexual harassment and assault,” says Kevin Oakes, i4cp’s CEO. “What’s not obvious to companies is how to deal with it. Clearly no organization wants to be slow in addressing issues, and the speed at which claims are being handled now is unprecedented.

“However, there is still a lot of discussion in organizations about what to change going forward from previous policies,” Oakes continues. “And in my discussions with chief human resources officers over the last few weeks, it’s clear they are still trying to figure out exactly what – if any – changes to make.”

The report, based on input from 335 employers about the marked increase in sexual harassment claims is impacting their organizations, found that, while 71 percent of organizations require sexual harassment training, less than half (49 percent) label the training as effective.

“This is not surprising, since the compliance-driven training is usually delivered in such a way that reinforces stereotypes and fails to change thinking or behavior,” the authors write.

As such, 20 percent of employers anticipate increases in sexual harassment claims. About a quarter have, or plan to have, their CEO send an email communication to all employees affirming the company’s zero tolerance policy against harassment.

But part of the problem is defining exactly what that means: less than half of those surveyed say that their employers are effective to a high or very high extent at providing preventative education about behaviors that constitute harassment.

“This speaks to the need for explicit communication about workplace conduct,” the authors write. “What constitutes crossing the line in an organization? Are there degrees and distinctions?”

“This isn’t something that should be left to ambiguity or (worse) outdated training that’s delivered by watching a few videos or breezing through a PowerPoint deck,” they write. “Employers need to use clear, concrete language to communicate standards of behavior to the workforce so that there is no uncertainty about what is acceptable and what isn’t.”

Moreover, many organizations aren’t clear about how workers should report incidences, as less than half of survey respondents said that their organizations effectively communicate to employees about how sexual harassment claims are handled – whether it be though an ombudsman, hotline or third-party.

“One change I’m hoping gets made is in training,” Oakes says. “While mandated in several states and in many companies, sexual harassment training is the longest running joke in the corporate training community. In the past it too often has been an exercise of ‘click through it and complete as fast as possible’ versus any real education happening. Given recent events and this new climate, that has to change.”

Instant Insights /

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