Creating a Strong Anti-Harassment Program

Eliminating sexual harassment makes all the sense in the world, for reasons of increasing employees’ morale and efficiency, and lessening your risks of liability. Here are some ways to make an anti-harassment policy truly effective in your business. Work with your lawyer to:

1. Make it crystal clear and to the point. Tailor it to your business. Use real-life examples that all employees can readily understand.

2. Communicate it. Make regular training sessions--and annual refresher courses--mandatory for all employees. Put the message up on posters and bulletin boards. Put reminders in paycheck envelopes. Highlight it in employee manuals.

3. Make sure everyone understands the policy. Do regular evaluations to assure that employees are fully familiar with the policy and complaint mechanisms.

4. Provide effective complaint mechanisms. Include a way for employees to by-pass their supervisor when the supervisor participates in the harassment or fails to address a complaint.

5. Do a prompt, thorough investigation. Begin as soon as the complaint is made, using an outside investigator if necessary. Maintain the complainant’s confidentiality to the maximum extent possible.

6. Put teeth in the policy. There should be appropriate discipline imposed as soon as a complaint is found to have merit.