Is your business managing with the new requirements for harassment prevention training in California? What are some of the benefits of this training for your employees and your business as a whole?
Since January 1, 2020, California employers with a minimum of five staff have been required to conduct harassment prevention training. This training can also be beneficial for your business and your employees, even if you are not in California. What are some of the benefits of this training?
Harassment Prevention Training Shows Leadership
By providing harassment prevention training to your employees, you show strong leadership in your field.
Even if you’re mandated to provide this training, doing so in a way that takes the training seriously, and by providing follow-up training, and visibly showing your dedication to pursuing training beyond the minimum requirements sends a message to your employees that the leadership of your agency takes harassment seriously and will not condone it. It also encourages people to report issues of harassment to your agency’s leadership team and to do so before they become a large problem, thereby allowing you to address these concerns early.
Helps Others Speak Up
Harassment prevention training in the workplace allows other people to speak on behalf of those who might be too nervous to speak up themselves. Just as school-based anti-bullying training focuses on bystanders, so too can harassment prevention training.
This training helps people in your office start to create a more positive office culture for themselves as they let others around them know that certain behaviors are not appropriate. It changes what can be the norms of office culture for the better.
Harassment training can create a better work environment for your employees.
A Better Work Environment and a Better Client Environment
Providing harassment prevention training for your employees is beneficial not only to your employees but also for your clients.
All clients benefit from conscious communication among your staffing team because your team’s communication skills and confidence in their company culture, ripple out into their interactions with your clients.
According to Trailiant, “Training is one of the most effective and efficient ways to raise awareness of the different types of unacceptable behavior—from the obvious to the subtle—and remove uncertainty about what is and what isn’t appropriate (and lawful) behavior.” Training helps your employees become more thoughtful about their communication and interactions overall.
Improve Staff Retention
Training your employees generally benefits your workplace culture, since your employees feel that you are investing in their further knowledge and wellbeing. According to the HR Daily Advisor, “One of the most common missteps made by organizations is simply not prioritizing employee development.”
When the training is focused on preventing sexual harassment, this has the added benefit of actively and visibly promoting a harassment-free workplace culture. Even if you are in a state other than California and are not mandated to provide such training, providing it shows that you are committed to having and maintaining a positive work environment for all.
Learn More
At the American Agents Alliance, we can help ensure that you’re able to train your employees. Talk with us about how we can help your CA agency with harassment prevention training. Contact us today.
