As a business owner, you can avoid lengthy and costly litigation for workplace harassment Dallas TX by instituting zero tolerance company rules. Bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination complaints filed by employees take up time and resources you can better spend on running your business. Train supervisors, hiring managers and others in proper office procedures to avoid the situations that lead to harassment.
Workplace Harassment Dallas TX: Post Clear Rules and Procedures
Schedule mandatory training sessions for supervisors and employees to teach them what constitutes sexual harassment, race harassment, retaliation and other types of harassment. Through films, discussions and handouts, make your company’s policies clear. Include examples pertinent to your industry. Retail and restaurant employees who deal directly with the public encounter different scenarios than office workers. Real-life examples of workplace harassment will help employees understand what constitutes an unacceptable situation.
Harassment Laws Dallas TX: Institute a No Retaliation Policy
Employees need to know that management won’t retaliate against them if they allege workplace harassment has taken place. Let employees know their charges will be investigated and taken seriously. Retaliation isn’t another form of harassment or workplace revenge. It’s a subtle way that some employers can make people afraid to complain about uncomfortable situations or assert their rights. If someone complains about workplace harassment and is then transferred to a less desirable job without any logical reason, this could be termed retaliation. If management punishes employees who complain about harassment, this contributes to an ineffective and hostile work environment. Retaliation is illegal, and employers should take steps to prevent it.
Discrimination in the Workplace Dallas TX: Establish a Reporting Process
Your company needs a defined process that employees can use to report workplace harassment or discrimination. You can designate one person in Human Resources to handle all initial complaints, or have the employee report the harassment to his or her supervisor. You may also use a Compliance Hotline so employees can phone in harassment claims without dealing directly with a supervisor or manager.
Your anti-harassment policy should also indicate how to conduct complaint investigations and what actions will be taken to deal with the results of the investigation. The investigation should be prompt and thorough. If not, the employee could claim the employer didn’t take the complaint seriously.
The employment law experts at Simon | Paschal PLLC will help you draft the most comprehensive workplace harassment Dallas TX materials for your company. We’ll write employee handbooks, employee agreements, and independent contractor agreements; we can advise you regarding hiring, training and termination practices and conduct investigations into workplace harassment claims. Call us today at 972-893-9340 for a consultation.
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