Does Workplace Sexual Harassment Training Really Work? Evolving Best Practices for EAPs

Abstract

Increased awareness and prevention of sexual harassment and disrespectful behavior has become a priority in today's multi-gender, multi-generational workforce. Unfortunately, unacceptable levels of systemic sexual harassment and other abusive behavior have persisted for decades despite widespread adoption of policies and practices ostensibly designed to thwart them. High publicity court cases and social media campaigns like #MeToo and #TimesUp reveal warning signs of toxic workplace cultures (inadequate policies, lax enforcement and escalating patterns of behavior) were routine in multiple industry sectors, yet neither prevented nor addressed for decades. Not limited to the US, the #MeToo phenomenon has gone global, with women sharing personal accounts of sexual harassment in 85 countries and counting (Fortune, 11-17-17). Despite existing laws prohibiting workplace sexual harassment in over 120 countries, examples around the world persist where individuals continue to experience abuse and other discriminatory behavior that ultimately undermine economic growth for all. As more continue to speak out about mistreatment, employers must realize that workplace harassment remains a lingering and pervasive problem. Conventional system-wide education, management training efforts, and existing reporting mechanisms have simply been inadequate to guarantee workplaces as zones of respect and opportunity.