The world was shocked in two thousand and eighteen.

It was a quieter time, a time before everyone was concerned with how the pandemic was going to affect their workplace.

But that doesn’t mean that it was idyllic.

One morning, the nation woke up to a news report about Harvey Weinstein. An intrepid young reported named Ronan Farrow had spent months tracking down women who were willing to speak on the record about the predatory behavior of the Hollywood executive.

Many were too frightened to speak up. They had kept their secret for months, years, even decades, because they knew what he could do to them.

Weinstein represented an extreme case of sexual harassment. Not only was he committing assaults on the women he worked with, but he was also employing international spies to keep tabs on them for the rest of their lives to ensure they wouldn’t speak out.

But that day, Harvey Weinstein was finally served a notice: his days of rampant sexual abuse were coming to a close.

It wasn’t long after the article was published that Weinstein was arrested and tried for his crimes.  But that wasn’t the only change the article brought about.

Suddenly people were talking about their own experiences with sexual harassment. Millions of people took to the internet to safely proclaim that they, too, had been victimized. With so many people finally finding the courage to speak up, it was impossible for the world to ignore that sexual harassment is a problem.

It has been nearly four years since that article was published, and in that time the world has begun to make changes. One of these changes is New York state sexual harassment training becoming a mandatory experience every year.

This is just one way we are trying to move forward and create a safer work environment for everyone.

Knowledge is Power

The first step in combatting sexual harassment is to know what behavior constitutes this crime.

The answer is that no one single behavior is classified as sexual harassment. That is because there are several different ways for someone to commit this act. One way is by making unwelcome sexual advances towards a person that you work with.

Anytime you request a sexual favor from someone in the workplace, especially if it is in exchange for a raise, a promotion, or a special project, you have committed sexual harassment.

Many people, if asked on the street, would see these two behaviors as problematic. But these are not the only two ways to step out of line.

Making negative remarks about a person’s sexual orientation or gender would also be classified as sexual harassment, even if the comments are not strictly sexual in nature.

Furthermore, harassment entails creating a hostile work environment for the victim. Click here for more information about the definition of this term.

Moving Forward

Now you know what we’re up against, and that’s half the battle.

New York City also believes this to be true. They have passed legislation that requires companies to conduct routine training on the subject every year. This ensures that not only is everyone on the same page about what is expected of them, but also that it stays fresh in their minds.

The goal is to ultimately create a safer work environment for everyone through consistent education.

Do Your Part

The consequence of sexual harassment can be devastating. More than ninety percent of women who have experienced it have had psychological side effects as a result.

This includes stress, anxiety, even panic attacks. The effects can be long lasting. Click the link: http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/svaw/harassment/explore/4effects.htm for more information about these side effects.

This behavior causes women to devalue themselves and men to reinforce the behavior they are seeing from their superiors. Over time, this leads to a drop in productivity, a loss of talented employees, and a toxic workplace.

In today’s labor market, the last thing you want is to sacrifice talented, hardworking employees because you are unwilling to commit to creating a safe work space. And if you don’t comply with the state mandated training, you will lose employees.

That’s because the job market is wide open. Anyone with talent will be a highly-sought after commodity. Why not protect the assets you have by working with your employees to listen to their needs?

Remember that the results of sexual harassment can be devastating. If you are letting it flourish in your place of business, you will eventually see the day when the victims are no longer willing to stand by and let it continue.

Training is a simple and inexpensive way to get ahead. You can expect to see an increase in productivity after you implement your state-mandated training. After a while, you’ll wonder how you ever did without it!