Preventing Workplace Harassment
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Five Ways Small Businesses Can Prevent Sexual Harassment
Four-thousand fewer people complained of sexual harassment to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2006 than a decade ago, for a total of about 12,000 claims. But owners of small businesses shouldn't celebrate yet.
These owners still settled for almost $50 million last year, and that number hasn't dropped appreciably in the last decade. This is at least partly avoidable by making a business a fairer, safer place to work. It's the right thing and it's good business: People who feel secure in their workplace are more 
productive.
"Prevention is key, and the best way to prevent harassment is to educateemployees and provide a safe way to report trouble to someone who'll do something about it," says Robert C. Rice, a Houston-based labor lawyer. "After all, your company could be at stake."
Here's what Rice tells clients:
First, understand the problem. For instance, victims don't have to be the opposite sex, nor are all victims women (about 15 percent of all sexual harassment complainants are men); the harasser doesn't have to be a boss, or even an employee; and the victim doesn't have to be the person harassed, "but could be anyone affected by the offensive conduct."
Second, establish a firm, clear policy with zero tolerance for harassment, and have a lawyer vet it.
Third, ensure an effective way to report harassment: a hotline, for instance; a supervisor; or the human resources department. Employees should never have to report harassment to a direct supervisor, who may be the problem.
Fourth, ensure investigations are prompt, impartial, respectful of everyone's rights — including the accused — and well-documented.
Fifth, be alert and make sure supervisors are too. You might want to hold a training session once a year.
Finally, Rice recommends hiring a professional employer organization (PEO). PEOs enable clients to cost-effectively outsource the management of human resources, employee benefits, payroll and workers' compensation. PEO clients focus on their core competencies to maintain and grow their bottom line.
"Do you really want to be out there on your own when a complaint comes in?" says Milan P. Yager, executive vice president of the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations. "A PEO can help you design a policy and enforce it, and that might very well head off a lawsuit."
Extensis can help!
Extensis provides our clients with the tools and experience needed to help prevent workplace harassment.
Extensis is focused on providing our clients with the tools needed to stay in compliance with the fast changing regulatory changes affecting small business. We allow our clients to stay focused on growing their business.
Let us show how we can help.
For more information, go to www.extensisgroup.com, or call 888-473-6398.