Harassmment can occur in any
workplace where diverse
employees interact.

Harassment and Diversity: Respecting Differences 

Managing in a diverse workplace can be a challenge, but every manager has the responsibility to maintain a harassment-free workplace!

While sexual harassment gets the bulk of the attention, there are other forms of workplace harassment that can be just as detrimental. Diversity in business should be celebrated, but unfortunately our differences carry the potential for harassment. Cultural backgrounds, age, religious beliefs, nationalities, and physical abilities are all targets for workplace discrimination, but they are also categories that are protected under law.

Harassment can occur in any workplace where the diversity of employees might cause tension and difficult interactions. This dramatic story shows an all-too-common situation, where friction between employees grows from "just kidding around" into illegal harassment. It explains that your company should have a zero tolerance harassment policy that protects every employee, all the time.

All employees have the right to work in an environment free of hostility, where courtesy and mutual respect are the dominant attitudes. Our narrator, Bruce Sarchet, an employment law attorney with Littler Mendelson PC, the National Employment and Labor Law Firm®, details the steps necessary to resolve harassment problems and protect both the company and the employees.

Managers will learn:

• An appreciation for diversity in the workplace.
• Awareness of conditions that may lead to harassment, and what to keep an eye out for.
• Policies and practices that help keep the workplace harassment-free.
• How to respond to a claim of harassment.
• Harassment investigation procedures and proper discipline.
• Why harassment must be taken seriously.

All managers and supervisors need to understand their roles in preventing harassment in today's diverse workplaces. They must know the definition of illegal harassment, and why it cannot be tolerated. Use this comprehensive program to clarify how to recognize and prevent harassment, and what to do if harassment occurs.