COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the Sexual Harassment Prevention course. This program has been designed to equip you with the knowledge, legal understanding and practical strategies required to prevent sexual harassment, recognise unlawful behaviours, respond appropriately to complaints and maintain a safe, respectful and inclusive work environment. You will explore what sexual harassment is, how the law defines it, the forms it can take and the organisational responsibilities associated with preventing and addressing it. This course also examines complaint procedures, policy development, supervisory duties, liability risks and the practical steps required to reduce harassment in the workplace.

This course begins by examining what is meant by sexual harassment and why managers and supervisors must learn about it as part of their legal and ethical responsibilities. You will explore anti-harassment guidelines, how sexual harassment violates the law and who the law protects. This section also examines how same-sex harassment is unlawful, how harassment of both men and women can be illegal and how harassment based on sexual orientation is prohibited. You will explore how quid pro quo harassment involves unwelcome sexual conduct tied to job benefits and how hostile environment harassment consists of unwelcome sexual or gender-based conduct that interferes with an employee’s ability to work. This section also examines how the law defines sexual harassment, what makes a work environment hostile and why managers should never assume an employee is being oversensitive.

The next learning area focuses on behaviours that constitute harassment and those that do not. You will explore how nonsexual abuse directed at one sex can constitute harassment, how innocent advances may not reach the legal threshold and how managerial or supervisory conduct can create a hostile environment even without intent. This section also examines how a single incident of unwanted touching can constitute harassment, how comments, pinups or calendars contribute to a hostile environment and how unfulfilled threats or negative implications from a manager may still amount to unlawful harassment. You will explore how false rumours regarding an employee’s alleged sexual activity can become sexual harassment and the significant costs harassment can impose on a company through legal liability, decreased morale and reputational damage.

A further learning area examines organisational responsibilities in preventing harassment. You will explore the steps companies must take to reduce liability, how to establish a written policy prohibiting harassment and how to communicate this policy effectively. This section also examines how to train employees on the policy, how to develop an effective complaint procedure and why such a procedure is essential for protecting both employees and the organisation. You will explore why employers should regularly monitor managers and supervisors for anti-harassment behaviour and how proactive oversight reduces the risk of unlawful conduct.

Another learning area focuses on supervisory duties when harassment is identified or suspected. You will explore the steps supervisors and managers must take when harassment is found, why taking prompt action is critical and how failure to act contributes to legal liability. This section also examines the importance of developing and documenting every detail of a sexual harassment investigation to ensure fairness, accuracy and compliance with organisational policy. You will explore how supervisors and employers can avoid defamation liability through careful communication and confidentiality and why it is essential to take quick action to stop retaliation, which is unlawful and often more damaging than the original complaint.

The final learning area reinforces the ongoing responsibility of organisations to maintain safe, respectful workplaces. You will explore how policies, training, monitoring, documentation and leadership behaviours contribute to effective sexual harassment prevention and how organisations build trust by demonstrating consistent, responsible action.

By the end of this course you will be able to understand what sexual harassment is, recognise unlawful conduct, implement policies and complaint procedures, take prompt corrective action, protect employees from retaliation, document investigations properly and contribute to a workplace culture grounded in dignity, fairness and legal compliance.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:

·       What is meant by sexual harassment?

·       Why do managers and supervisors need to learn about sexual harassment?

·       The anti-harassment guidelines

·       How does sexual harassment violate the law?

·       Who does the law protect?

·       How same-sex harassment is against the law?

·       How harassment of both men and women can be illegal?

·       How sexual orientation harassment can be illegal?  

·       How quid pro quo harassment is unwelcome sexual conduct?

·       How hostile environment harassment is an unwelcome sexual or gender-based conduct?

·       How does the law define sexual harassment? 

·       What makes a work environment hostile?        

·       Why you should never assume that an employee is being oversensitive?

·       How nonsexual abuse aimed at one sex is harassment?   

·       How innocent advances are not harassment?

·       How the managers and supervisors conduct, can create a hostile environment?

·       How one incident of unwanted touching can be harassment?

·       How comments, pinups, or calendars can be harassment?         

·       How a manager's or supervisor's unfulfilled threats can constitute sexual harassment?

·       How false rumours concerning an employee's alleged sexual activity may become sexual harassment?

·       What can sexual harassment cost the company?

·       The steps companies must take to reduce liability for sexual harassment

·       How to establish a written policy prohibiting harassment? 

·       How to communicate the sexual harassment policy and train employees?

·       How to establish an effective company complaint procedure?

·       Why is a complaint procedure important?         

·       Why employers should regularly monitor their managers and supervisors for anti-harassment behaviour?

·       The steps supervisors and managers must take, if harassment is found

·       Why is it important to take prompt action to eliminate known sexual harassment?

·       The importance of developing and documenting all details of a sexual harassment investigation

·       How to avoid defamation liability?

·       Why take quick action to stop retaliation?

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.