Safety Training - Sexual Harassment Training

Employee Training Module: Cultivating a Respectful Workplace – Preventing Sexual Harassment

Professionalism, Respect, and Safety: Understanding and Preventing Sexual Harassment in the workplace

Welcome: At any company, leadership must be committed to fostering a workplace where every individual feels safe, valued, and respected. This training is essential for everyone, regardless of your role or how long you've been with a company. It outlines what sexual harassment is, why it's unacceptable, and your critical role in preventing it and ensuring a respectful environment for all.

Section 1: Why This Training Matters to YOU and Our Company

For a restoration company, this training is uniquely vital because:

• Diverse Work Environments: Our work takes us from our office to diverse job sites – residential homes, commercial properties, and sometimes even public spaces. Each environment presents unique interactions and demands a consistent commitment to professional conduct.

• Varied Personnel: Our teams are a mix of dedicated office staff, skilled operations staff (including Mitigation Managers, Reconstruction Managers, Crew Leaders, and Crew Members), essential subcontractors (e.g., plumbers, electricians), and even temporary laborers. Our policy applies to everyone  within our work environment.

• Client & Vendor Interactions: We regularly interact with clients (who are likely in a vulnerable situations), insurance adjusters, and various vendors. Maintaining professionalism with all external parties is paramount to our reputation and ethical standards.

• Our Reputation is Our Foundation: As a service-based business, the companies reputation for integrity, professionalism, and respect is everything. One incident of harassment can severely damage trust with other employees, clients, and partners.

Your company has a ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY for sexual harassment. They are dedicated to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment. The company will investigate all complaints promptly and thoroughly, and take appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or contract, for any violation of this policy.

Section 2: Understanding Sexual Harassment – What It Is & What It Looks Like

Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination that involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, non-verbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. It becomes harassment when:

• Submission to or rejection of such conduct affects an individual's employment (e.g., hiring, promotions, work assignments).

• The conduct unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance.

• The conduct creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

Key Concepts to Understand:

• "Unwelcome": The behavior is considered unwelcome if the person subjected to it did not solicit or invite it, and regarded it as undesirable or offensive. Silence or lack of protest does NOT automatically mean the conduct is welcome. The perception of the recipient, not the intent of the harasser, is key.

• "Severe or Pervasive": While one severe incident (like a sexual assault or a direct "quid pro quo" demand) can constitute harassment, a pattern of less severe but persistent unwelcome conduct can also create a hostile environment.

• Hostile Work Environment: This occurs when the unwelcome conduct is so frequent or severe that it creates an abusive work environment. It's not about being overly sensitive; it's about whether a reasonable person would find the environment hostile or offensive.

Examples of Sexual Harassment in a Restoration Context (Not an exhaustive list):

Type of Conduct

Examples in Our Industry

Verbal

- Sexually suggestive jokes or stories on a job site or in the office.

- Comments about someone's appearance, body, or clothing that are sexual in nature.

- Whistling, catcalling, or wolf-whistling.

- Spreading rumors about someone's personal life or sexuality.

- Repeatedly asking someone out after they've declined.

- Using sexually suggestive or demeaning terms ("honey," "sweetheart," etc.) towards colleagues, clients, or subs.

Non-Verbal

- Displaying sexually suggestive images, posters, or screen savers in the office, shop, or on job sites (including on phones/tablets).

- Lewd gestures, winks, or staring.

- Unwanted or prolonged eye contact.

- Sending unwanted sexual texts, emails, or social media messages.

Physical

- Unwanted touching, such as patting, pinching, hugging, stroking, or brushing against someone's body.

- Blocking someone's path or cornering them.

- Assault (any form of unwanted sexual contact).

Quid Pro Quo

- A manager implying that a temporary laborer's continued work or a subcontractor's next job depends on them agreeing to a date or sexual favor.

- A Crew Leader suggesting a Crew Member will get better assignments if they are "friendly."

Section 3: Who Is Covered & Who Can Be Involved?

Our policy against sexual harassment protects everyone in our work environment, regardless of their employment status or relationship with the company.

• Victim: Anyone can be a victim of sexual harassment, regardless of their gender. The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex of the harasser.

• Harasser: Anyone can be a harasser, regardless of their gender. This includes:

  • Management: Operations Managers, Mitigation Managers, Reconstruction Managers, Warehouse Managers, Business Development Managers, Office Managers.

  • Supervisors/Leaders: Crew Leaders (Mitigation & Reconstruction).

  • Colleagues: Other Office Staff, Crew Members, Business Development Associates.

  • External Parties: Subcontractors, Temporary Laborers, Clients, adjusters, vendors, or anyone else we interact with during our work.

Important Note: The harasser does not need to be the victim's supervisor. Harassment can occur between co-workers, or even if the harasser is a customer or client.

Section 4: Your Rights & Responsibilities

Your Rights:

• You have the right to work in an environment free from all forms of sexual harassment and discrimination.

• You have the right to report harassment without fear of retaliation.

Your Responsibilities:

• Maintain Professional Conduct: Always conduct yourself professionally and respectfully in all interactions, adhering to company policy and values.

• Understand and Follow Policy: Be familiar with and comply with our company's anti-harassment policy.

• Speak Up (If Comfortable): If you experience or witness inappropriate behavior, and you feel safe to do so, you can directly tell the person to stop. Sometimes, this is enough.

• Report Harassment IMMEDIATELY: This is your most critical responsibility.

Section 5: Reporting Sexual Harassment: The IMMEDIATE Action Plan

This is the most critical part of this training. For your company to address and prevent harassment effectively, they MUST know about it.

RULE: REGARDLESS OF WHO IS PERPETRATING THE INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR, IT MUST BE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY.

Whether it's your manager, a colleague, a client, a subcontractor, or a temporary laborer – if you experience or witness sexual harassment, report it right away.

How to Report:

You have several options to report sexual harassment. You can report to:

1. Your direct manager (Mitigation Manager, Reconstruction Manager, Office Manager, Business Development Manager, Warehouse Manager).

2. The General Manager.

3. If applicable: Your HR Department/HR contact person.

Why Report Immediately?

• Prevent Escalation: Early reporting allows us to address the issue before it gets worse or impacts others.

• Enable Company Action: The company cannot address a problem it doesn't know about. The company can only protect you and others if you report.

• Legal Compliance: Timely reporting helps the company meet its legal obligations to investigate and correct harassment.

• Support for You: Reporting ensures you receive the support and protection you need.

What Happens After You Report?

1. Confidentiality: Your report will be treated with discretion and shared only with those who "need to know" to investigate and resolve the issue. A company cannot promise absolute confidentiality as a full investigation may require speaking to others, but they will protect your privacy to the fullest extent possible.

2. Prompt Investigation: The company will conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation into your complaint. This may involve interviewing you, the alleged harasser, and any witnesses.

3. No Retaliation: You will not be punished, disciplined, or face any negative consequences for making a good-faith report of harassment or for participating in an investigation. Retaliation is illegal and is also a serious violation of company policy. If you believe you are being retaliated against, report it immediately.

4. Appropriate Action: If harassment is found to have occurred, the company will take immediate and appropriate corrective action, which may include disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment or contract.

Section 6: Consequences of Harassment

For those who engage in sexual harassment, the consequences are severe:

• Disciplinary Action: Ranging from mandatory retraining and formal warnings to demotion, suspension, or termination of employment or contract.

• Legal Liability: Individuals who harass may face personal legal action.

• Damage to Reputation: Both personal and professional reputation can be permanently damaged.

For the company, failure to prevent or address harassment can lead to:

• Massive legal fines and costly lawsuits.

• Irreparable damage to company brand and public image.

• Difficulty attracting and retaining good employees.

• Decreased morale, productivity, and trust within the organization.

Remember these key takeaways:

• Sexual harassment is any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature.

• It's about the impact, not the intent.

• This policy applies to EVERYONE in your work environment, regardless of their role or relationship with the company.

• You have a responsibility to report any harassment you experience or witness.

• REGARDLESS OF WHO IS PERPETRATING THE INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR, IT MUST BE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY.

• Retaliation is strictly prohibited.

• The company is committed to a safe & respectful environment.