In recent years, bullying and harassing behavior has increased in the workplace often going unreported. Incidents involving bullying are not just limited to co-workers either. Many managers, line foremen, and supervisors engage in bullying behavior without even realising that their actions may be considered as bullying or harassing behavior.
Here are 5 reasons your company needs bullying and harassment training:
1. Many victims as well as perpetrators do not understand what constitutes bullying in the workplace. They feel as long as no physical touching is involved that their behavior cannot be considered to be harassing or bullying behavior. However, such behavior often leaves victims feeling isolated and fearful and can greatly affect their work performance. Bullying and Harassment training will help victims understand what constitutes bullying and/or harassment and what they can do to report such incidents in order to get it to stop.
2. Bullying and harassment training helps perpetrators understand what constitutes bullying and harassing behavior, how it effects their victims and the legal consequences of such behavior. It also gives them a clear detailed account to what will happen to them if it is proven that they are engaging in such behavior.
3. Bullying and harassment training also lays out for managers and other leaders to understand their legal obligations to prevent bullying and harassing behavior in the workplace and the penalties for not doing so. It also gives them useful tips on developing a clear plan of action that allows victims to report such behavior and the steps for conducting a thorough investigation and reporting the findings as well as how to minimize liability for the company.
4. Bullying and Harassment training will also help businesses and those that run them realize the financial effect that harassment and bullying can have on your business aside from the possibilities of fines and penalties. Workers who feel harassed and bullied often call in sick for work and when they are there find it difficult to concentrate on their jobs making them less efficient carrying out their duties, which in turn may slow down the overall, efficiency of production. Overtime this can cost your company tens of thousands in lost revenue. Bullying and harassment training will show you how to spot this kind of behavior even if it goes unreported which will allow you to correct the situation and provide a healthy working environment so that your company’s production does not suffer.
5. Studies show that employees who feel looked after by their employers are more likely to work harder in performing their duties. In addition, when employees feel safe in their place of work there is higher worker morale, which results in more efficiency. Bullying and harassment training will help you to be able to put into place safe guards for preventing this type of behavior and will show all your employees that you take this issue seriously which will result in higher employee morale, and a better working relationship between all employees.
Bullying and harassment training is require according to OHS guidelines but, more importantly such training will create a positive work environment which will result in more profit for your company and an increase in worker satisfaction.
