Long ago in a land far away… Well, just a few years ago but in COVID time, sexual harassment had a moment. Not a moment but a movement.* The #metoo movement gathered steam and there were some big fish–Harvey Weinstein, Keven Spacey, and Senator Al Franken to name a few. Hearings on sexual harassment and assault in the military. States adopted laws; companies provided training to comply. Then the world turned upside down.*
Now #metoo is back and cannot be sidelined. Last week, President Biden signed into law a bill prohibiting sexual harassment and sexual assault from mandatory arbitration agreements. These carve outs largely protected companies from litigation, especially class actions. This was a primary goal of the #metoo movement–to end protections for employers. In signing the law, mandatory arbitration of these matters ends immediately. As we blogged before, your handbooks and contracts must be updated. But there is more that needs to happen…
The old joke about Carnegie Hall comes to mind ** when it comes to sexual harassment: rather than practice, the answer is train, train, train. The best policies and posters are meaningless without organization-wide training. From the CEO to the parking attendants, the best way to stem sexual harassment is through training for all. And the optics of the people at the top attending training cannot be overstated.
Need help with training? Want to make it really easy? We can meet your training needs from quick coffee break sessions to seminars tailored to your workplace. Live or remote. We can help. Contact us.
*Thanks, as always, to Lin Manual Miranda
**Q: How do I get to Carnegie Hall please? A: Practice, practice, practice!