3 Tips to Ending Sexual Misconduct

At Respect Outside, we utilize the lessons we learn outside and apply them to everyday work life.

Trust is an essential part of what we do in our outdoor pursuits; we want to bring that same level of trust to our work lives. Specifically, that means teaching employees at every level, how to live the principles of Equity Through Action to cultivate a healthy and respectful workplace.

Everyone has a role in creating equity at work. Here are three tips for preventing sexual misconduct in your organization….

1. Leadership must prioritize civility as a baseline expectation at work. Civility can be transformative and, like many skills, can be taught. It guides us to treat each other with respect and caring, and creates space which allows us to interrupt behaviors that are not in line with workplace values.  These behaviors increase the personal integrity of everyone at work which has the overarching effect of positively transforming your workplace culture.
2. Zero tolerance is a thing of the past.  Zero tolerance policies sound great but they have a chilling effect on employees’ willingness to interrupt the unwanted behaviors of their colleagues.  Human Resources must intentionally design Policies and Procedures that reinforce the mission statement and the company’s core values.  These guidelines must be designed to prevent sexual misconduct, support victims when harassment  occurs and create transparency in the reporting and investigation process. Policies and procedures should focus on desired behaviors and not just identifying behaviors that will lead to termination.
3. Policies are essential but so is training.  Employees must receive training on how to interrupt both upstream behaviors (which are not illegal, but can lead to illegal behavior) as well as sexual harassment and discrimination.  Employees must be taught how to properly interrupt unwanted workplace behaviors while keeping themselves safe. Many states understand the effectiveness of sexual misconduct prevention training and have passed laws mandating training.

Thanks for taking time with us today.  For more information or to schedule a consultation, visit  www.respectoutside.com.