On the job harassment takes many forms, none of which should be tolerated. One employee may harass another; a supervisor may harass an employee, group of employees or another supervisor; or a customer may harass one or more of your employees. Harassment may be related to religion, ethnicity, gender, age, disability or another issue. Bullying is a form of harassment and should not be tolerated.
Every business with employees should have a written harassment policy that is clearly communicated to employees, both as a deterrent to harassment and to inform employees of their rights if they are harassed. It is particularly important to have a written sexual harassment policy because sexual harassment on the job violates federal civil rights laws. Having a written policy your employees know about may offer some protection if you are sued.
Click here for training videos and additional information about preventing or investigating sexual harassment.
For more information about employer responsibilities in preventing harassment, see “Employee Handbooks” on the Helpful Links page of this website.