Harassment & Bullying: Rhetoric v. Reality

It’s not just about sexual harassment anymore, but rather about harassment of all protected classes that creates new challenges and responsibilities for workplaces. Are you current about the changes in the ADAAA? How has GINA impacted your organization? Can you name all the federal and your state’s protected classes? What is the nexus between harassment and bullying? Sometimes the behavior that is traditionally labeled bullying is actually harassment based on the target’s protected class but isn’t recognized as such by management and HR thereby increasing the risk of a civil rights lawsuit. Bullying and harassment negatively impact absenteeism, turnover, and the bottom line. Often the bully or harasser is not held accountable and the misconduct continues resulting in poor morale, costly lawsuits, and a drop in productivity. Retaliation complaints are now the most common complaint to the EEOC.

Learning Objectives

• To define discrimination and harassment of protected classes based on federal and state laws
• To examine and define bullying
• To discuss possible tort laws related to bullying
• To identify the effects of harassment and bullying on the target, the work unit, and the organization
• To list the steps to take if you are targeted by either of the forms of misconduct
• To explain management’s legal responsibility in the prevention and intervention of harassment and bullying

Who Should Attend

• HR
• Management
• Any Employee