Sexual Harassment Training for California’s Logistics and Distribution Sector
Inland Empire, California
California’s logistics sector includes trucking, 3PL, freight, freight forwarders, drayage, ports, and more. In this sector, those who are most vulnerable to abuse, including low-wage workers, night shifters, and women who work in traditionally male-dominated fields.[i] This of course includes transportation workers, many of whom may work odd hours or in isolated capacities. Sexual harassment is bad for morale and productivity, and accusations can damage your company’s reputation and you may find you and your company are financially liable.
It’s important that your company offers clear and comprehensive sexual harassment training, not only to protect against sexual harassment claims, but to abide by the law. A new California law (SB1343) requires that every company, even those with as few as 5 employees must provide comprehensive training on sexual harassment, abusive behavior, and sexual orientation before the end of 2019. The law requires employers to provide at least two hours of sexual harassment prevention training and education to all supervisory employees and at least one hour of such training to all non-supervisory employees. Training and education must be provided once every two years thereafter. It can be difficult to navigate all the requirements on your own. In-person training provides the necessary space for questions and clarifications.
The team at Bridge Safety Consultants provides in-person training sessions where attendees are engaged and interested, and really learn what constitutes harassment in today’s environment. They’ll provide Industry-specific examples where harassment laws were violated and provide a framework for creating and updating an effective harassment policy. For example, Bridge Safety Consultants will address common concerns that may arise in such a heavily male-dominated industry; of the 7.7 million workers in the US Transportation & Utilities sector, women constitute only 22.6%.[ii] Educating your employees is important, and in our trainings we emphasize plans and understandings that protect you as an employer.
One of the goals of our training is to protect the employer from frivolous lawsuits based on misunderstanding, and thinking that almost anything could be construed as sexual harassment. Our trainers are experts in explaining and demonstrating that not all behaviors are harassment, while educating workers that they must be aware of their behavior and the changing standards. Our training strikes a needed balance of educating and informing, while protecting the employer from questionable lawsuits. Workers will leave the training with a clearer understanding of what does not count as sexual harassment. While the new sexual harassment standards are real and enforceable, it’s important to understand the actual scope of these new laws and keep in mind that not all unintended, inadvertent, or ambiguous contact is necessarily harassment.
Legal costs can put a huge strain on your profits. Typically, the amount of financial payouts in settlements is kept confidential, making it difficult to reliably estimate total legal costs related to harassment. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which publishes all financial settlements it reaches on behalf of employees, gained $46.3 million in monetary benefits for employees in relation to sexual harassment charges in 2017. These costs are likely substantially underestimates of the actual payouts made by employers in response to sexual harassment charges because the EEOC litigates only a small number of all charges it receives.[iii]
Real Learning Requires Real Engagement
Retention goes up when people are engaged. It drops when they’re distracted. In-person training keeps attendees present and accountable in a way no video can replicate.Our sessions use real-world scenarios that challenge participants to make decisions about what behavior is and isn’t acceptable — creating the kind of meaningful learning experience that changes how people act on the job.
You may be thinking, my company already has a sexual harassment policy in place. However, even an extremely comprehensive policy in place will do little to protect your company in court if it doesn’t actually act to prevent harassment from taking place in your company. Bridge Safety Consultants will offer advice, example scenarios, help your company ensure you’re following the latest laws, and provide a space for in-person questions to be asked and answered so that there is no confusion. Don’t wait, book your training program HERE; protect yourself, your employees, and your company.
[i] https://ttd.org/policy/ending-sexual-harassment-and-abuse-in-the-transportation-sector/
[ii] https://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/why_should_women_work_in_logistics
[iii] https://iwpr.org/publications/sexual-harassment-work-cost/