Employers can minimize occurrences of sexual harassment on the job by adhering to "five core principles," according to the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission's "Promising Practices for Preventing Harassment."

"As many employers recognize, adopting proactive measures may prevent harassment from occurring," the EEOC writes. "Employers implement a wide variety of creative and innovative approaches to prevent and correct harassment."

The agency cites a report from the co-chairs of EEOC's Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace, which identified five core principles "that have generally proven effective in preventing and addressing harassment," including 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.