How can sexual harassment training in the workplace protect my company from liability in Delaware?
Delaware Sexual Harassment Training Requirements: Interactive sexual harassment training must be provided to employees by employers with 50 or more employees.
Sexual Harassment Training must be provided to existing employees within 1 year of January 1st, 2019. All new hires must receive training within 1 year of their hire date.
New supervisors must receive additional interactive sexual harassment training within 1 year of starting the management position. Existing managers must complete training by January 1,2020. The additional training for supervisors must cover the prevention and correction of sexual harassment in the workplace as well as information in the illegality of retaliation.
Every 2 years employees and supervisors must repeat sexual harassment training.
The Sexual Harassment Training must cover:
- Definition of sexual harassment with examples
- The illegality of sexual harassment
- A formal complaint process and legal remediation steps
- training employees on how to contact the Delaware Department of Labor
- The legal prohibition against retaliation
For more information visit the Delaware Division of Anti-Discrimination Website.
The EEOC is the federal governing body that describes and enforces sexual harassment and discrimination laws. Read more at (EEOC Harassment). According to the EEOC sexual harassment and other forms of employment discrimination violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, (ADA).
In 2018, the EEOC found that out of 153 discrimination claims 26.8% of them were related to sexual harassment. This means that the 41 cases of sexual harassment made up 0.2% of the total instances of sexual harassment cases reported in the US that year.
Studies show that over half of sexual harassment victims do not report sexual harassment or confront the harasser. Training on reporting procedures can help greatly limit the likelihood of continued harassment thus limiting your company’s liability..
There are a number of steps the EEOC recommends that employers take to reduce their chances of liability for sexual harassment claims.
- Implementing a strong and well understood sexual harassment policy.
- Providing a robust sexual harassment training program for training employees and supervisors.
- Establishing an effective complaint and grievance process, within which the employees do not have to fear retaliation.
- An employer should act Immediately to investigate any complaint or grievance.
- The employer should take immediate steps such as disciplinary action to stop harassment.
- Employees should be encouraged to confront the harasser directly and inform them that the conduct is inappropriate as well as informing management and Human Resources
Sexual Harassment Training Tip: Prevention is the BEST tool.
By ensuring that employees understand and are well trained in workplace sexual harassment policies, employers can greatly reduce their chances of being liable for monetary damages in sexual harassment cases.
Our onsite Sexual Harassment training seminars are also available in the following Delaware hotels:
Dover
Dover Downs Hotel
1131 N. Dupont Hwy. US Route 13
Dover, DE, 19901
Wilmington
Courtyard Wilmington
1102 West St.
Wilmington, DE, 19801