The laws have changed – as of January 1, 2020, any employer with five (5) or more employees MUST offer this type of training. Employees include part-time, interns whether paid or not, and some contractors. It also includes people working in other locations, such as at home. Every day we are learning about more harassing, bullying, and abusive behavior on the part of men (mostly men – some women) who have been in positions of power over their (mostly) female victims. Women all over the country – indeed all over the world are yelling “#Metoo” and Not anymore. This dynamic movement has opened the door for many other women and girls to come forward to share their stories of abuse. Among the ugliest of them (in my opinion) is the young gymnasts – some not even teenagers – abused by their team physician. No more will vulnerable girls, boys, and women passively accept demands for sexual favors.That’s the plus side. The flip side is that any untoward behavior can be interpreted as harassment and abuse behavior. Professional careers can be lost due to these accusations. We need context. We need perspective. Complaints of tacky and inappropriate words should not rise to the level of demands for sexual favors, or actual sexual abuse. We need to look at the context. For example, in the sixties and seventies in many parts of the country, there was a tremendous push for sexual freedom. Some people believed that now that the birth control pill was available anything could go. Much of the accusations today come from behaviors that although inappropriate now were considered OK then.We need to separate mildly offensive behavior from criminal behavior. We also need to be careful that we do not participate in a witch hunt, finding harassment everywhere. This webinar is designed to go beyond the basic training to prevent harassment offered through Illumeo and elsewhere. It will talk about some touchy and probably not exactly politically correct ideas in a desire to provide a full understanding of what is happening today and what can be – and should be – prevented in the future.Learning ObjectivesRecognize the different types of harassment and abuseDiscover the context into which some of these behaviors occurred in the pastIdentify strategies for preventing being accused of harassment or abuse in the futureExplore new ways of interacting with each other in the workplace – as well as in work-related social activitiesUnderstand different reactions to teasingBecome aware of how easy it is to create a hostile work environmentAreas CoveredUnderstanding the legal/social definitions of sexual harassment, discrimination, abuse, and bullyingExamples of subtle forms of harassmentKnowing the “protected” classes of people and why one should not discriminate Management’s role in preventing harassment, discrimination, etc. Appropriate and inappropriate behaviors in the workplace Understanding that work-related activities such as work-social events are subject to all the laws as if they were in the workplace itselfRecognizing the value and problems as a result of the current #MeToo MovementUnderstanding culture and contextWho Should AttendSupervisors, Managers, and Leaders of businesses/government agencies of all kindsAll staff – because it only takes 2 people to cause a problemThose that are mandated by law to provide the trainingAnyone trying to stay current with the “climate”All industries – non-profits – associations and employees of government agenciesWhy Should You AttendIt is mandatory for most peopleBeing aware of the more subtle issues enables you to stay out of troubleHaving your employees be aware saves you from lawsuitsTopic BackgroundSince the days of the caveman, some bullies have exploited their position of strength and power to take sexual advantage of those more vulnerable. Laws have been developed to attempt to prevent this type of exploitation in the workplace. Over time, these laws have become more and more stringent. Recently, a group of women has announced publicly NO MORE. They formed what has come to be known as the #MeToo Movement shedding light on the enormity of the problem.But, like all new movements, there are some extremists who are looking for signs of sexual harassment “under every rock” and claims are being filed by some looking to take advantage of the movement. People are being accused of behaviors that occurred 30 to 40 years previously – without regard for context. Training of this nature is mandatory for most employees in most organizations.