Today, e-Learning is a preferred method when it comes to delivering different kinds of training to employees, including harassment training. Everyone in the organization needs to be a part of this online course, including executives, managers, supervisors and other employees. In some cases, upper-level management may consider themselves excluded from this training, but they are the ones who need to set an example for their employees. It is important that everyone participates and, with that said, let’s moves on to five secret formulas that will help you organize online workplace harassment training.

Hostile environment

This is an important aspect of online harassment training, where a hostile environment is an environment so full of inappropriate behavior that it can affect an employee’s performance at work. This includes even subtle comments that can create a hostile environment, like demeaning comments or sexual conversations, even if they are said in a playful way.

When creating an e-Learning training course, you need to educate the employees that they have a responsibility to prevent harassment and how to handle it in an appropriate way. Online training can provide them with the proper steps they need to take when an incident is reported.

Focusing Your Training

When creating your e-Learning employee training that is focused on harassment, try to avoid putting an emphasis on direct forms or broad theories when it comes to misconduct. If your concepts are too vague, it is likely that you will lose the interest of your employees. Many people are already aware of blatant forms of conduct that constitute harassment, so this is why you need to focus on more grayer and complex areas.

Focus your online training on some of the less obvious ways in which harassment can occur, because in some cases, people do not understand these aspects. Make sure to include non-verbal harassment in your online training, because some non-verbal actions can be considered harassment and this includes looking at a person oddly, making certain facial expressions, blocking their path, invading their space or restricting their movements.

Also, make sure you focus on visual elements that can be considered harassment, which includes wearing a shirt that displays derogatory things or showing inappropriate images and videos on a computer or a phone.

Include Situations Outside Of the Workplace and Employee-Employee Situations

When creating your online harassment training, make sure to include the things that can happen outside the traditional work environment and outside the office. Create e-Learning materials that will focus on inappropriate behaviour at work that can also happen after working hours, and the problems that may occur on social media and via other forms of digital communication.

Maybe the first thought that comes to our mind when we think about harassment in the workplace is one employee harassing another, but harassment can also occur between a client and an employee, and in some cases, even the employer can be found responsible for not preventing or stopping these situations. So, in your course, include information that will help your managers detect these situations if they happen to occur and instructions on how to handle them.

Mention Financial Consequences and Use Emotions and Case Studies

In many cases, people do not understand the possible tremendous financial burdens that may come from harassment in the workplace. This is something that is important and that needs to be included in your online training, especially when it comes to training managers, supervisors and executives. These people often respond well when it comes to figures and facts.

When you are trying to deliver online training to your employees and company leaders, you will want it to resonate. You will want to prevent harassment from happening and change some of the potentially wrong behaviour that may be taking place. One successful way of achieving this is by evoking emotions.

You can use real-life stories and case studies to awake an emotional response and make your training more effective. This way, your online training can have a long-term impact on both your employees and your supervisors and managers.

Using the Essential Tools

With a learning management system (or LMS), it is extremely easy to educate your employees and to do it within a timetable that will work with everyone’s busy schedule. This way, individuals can complete their online training at a time which is most convenient for them. Your employees can learn about what behaviours are considered as harassment, how to report one and they’ll learn more about the rise of electronic harassment, which can be done through emails, texts and other online posts.

Harassment can cause organizations to lose excellent employees every year. This is why you need to create an online workplace harassment training course, to build awareness about threats. This way, you’ll reduce workplace claims. Online workplace harassment training will properly inform your employees on various ways to prevent harassment from happening in the workplace.

So, make sure that you choose the right online learn management tools and build your online workplace harassment training by following the advice we gave you in the text above.