Archive for December 5th, 2007
Wednesday, December 5th, 2007
Sexual Harassment “Training”
Yesterday I completed a web-training assessment on sexual harassment. It was a well done training compared to some of the ones I have heard about in other companies and universities.
One of the first problems with the training that caught my eye was the fact that the person being harassed is instructed to confront the person who is making them feel “uncomfortable”. They also said that this should be done in private. Again, let’s think about this statement. If someone is making you feel uncomfortable, confronting them and telling them to stop is not such an easy task. Basically, if someone doesn’t tell the person or persons to stop, then they cannot claim sexual harassment because they have not made it clear that they are uncomfortable. In my opinion this policy is hurting people who are being sexually harassed but are afraid to speak up. Speaking from experience, confronting someone (who in most cases in a job setting is your superior) is easier said than done.