Sexual Harassment In the Workplace Training
Sexual Harassment Training Options
- Half-day interactive workshop (in-person or live-virtual)
- 1-Hour interactive online webinar
- Workshops with or without actors
- Bitesize Learning Videos (pre-learning or refreshers)
- Toolkits for Managers to keep the conversation alive
- Consultancy, policies and risk assessments
Sexual Harassment Training Solution
In line with the new Worker Protection Act (October 2024) employers now have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent employees from experiencing any form of sexual harassment. This includes physical and verbal, whether meant as a joke or ‘banter’ and whilst in the office, off-site, or in a virtual / online context.
In response, our specialist team has designed a suite of flexible, interactive training solutions to support organisations of all sizes to start conversations, define boundaries and expectations, and create a culture of speaking out (and listening.) Content can be customised to align with existing initiatives, different roles and levels of responsibility, and in reference to organisation specific policies and reporting channels.
If you’d like to talk options over, book a meeting with us!
Preventing Sexual Harassment Training
This interactive training course provides a safe, respectful space for understanding the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behaviours in the workplace with specific reference to sexual harassment.
Participants will gain insight into the far-reaching impacts of sexual misconduct, empowering them to recognise, prevent and address these behaviours. By the end of the session, attendees will have a renewed commitment to fostering a workplace built on respect, professionalism, and clear personal boundaries.
Learning Outcomes:
- Explore what comfort, safety, and psychological safety means to you.
- Understand the definitions of harassment, sexual misconduct, and banter in the context of legislation.
- Navigate a range of real-life examples and the implications on individuals and organisations.
- Understand that ‘banter tolerance’ and general boundaries are different for everyone.
- Know how to contribute to a culture of speaking out to address inappropriate or uncomfortable comments or actions in the moment.
- Be signposted to organisation-specific policies and reporting channels.
- Commit to tangible actions to embed the learning.
This Sexual Harassment Training workshop is available with actors. Here’s a snippet of our actors in action…
Content Overview
Why We’re Here: Lived Experiences and Consequences
We start by grounding the conversation in reality – introducing the data and real examples of those who have experienced sexual misconduct and other inappropriate behaviour. We lead an activity to get people thinking about what we mean by physical and psychological safety at work.
Whistlestop Tour of Equality Law
We introduce participants to all the ‘need to know’ aspects of the Equality Act 2010, including the recent Worker Protection Act 2024. After navigating the difference between harassment, sexual misconduct and banter, we use an interactive activity to encourage the group to consider practical application in the context of their roles and responsibilities, with the opportunity to reflect on possible grey areas and ways to find clarity.
The Impact of Sexual Misconduct
Introducing video or customised scenarios to reflect your workplace environment (optionally enacted by professional actors), we explore a range of different types of sexual harassment and the damaging impact on individuals, teams, and organisations. Delegates will learn that personal boundaries vary from person to person and in different environments, and how to navigate this in the context of the workplace.
How This Could Look with Actors
Participants observe a scenario where a conversation, between two colleagues sharing their lunch break, crosses personal boundaries with uninvited “banter”. The characters will be ‘hot-seated’ allowing participants to ask questions and delve deep into each backstory. The group will explore the concept of ‘banter boundaries’ and the difference between intent and impact discovering that inappropriate behaviour can be subtle and not always intentional but can nonetheless still have implications. This scenario can be adjusted to your organisation’s needs.
Tools for Speaking Out
We explore why people sometimes avoid calling others out in the moment or hold back from reporting sexual harassment to their employer, positioning ‘courageous conversations’ as an act of care and pivotal to preventing escalation of inappropriate behaviours in the workplace. We share practical tools to support individuals to have what can sometimes be difficult conversations confidently, reminding them that proactive intervention is key. We’ll also discuss allyship and the power of allied voices in challenging inappropriate comments and behaviour. Optionally we can reference your company policies and reporting channels.
How This Could Look with Actors
In scenario two, participants overhear a long-standing customer making comments of a sexual nature to a gay colleague who manages the customer account. The audience will have the opportunity to explore the role of active bystander interventions, to step in and address the situation constructively. The goal is to build participants’ confidence in identifying and responding to inappropriate behaviour in their own workplace, even when it might be tempting to turn a blind eye. This scenario can be adjusted to your organisation’s needs.
Committing to Action:
Individuals will be invited to share the personal takeaways they will have been encouraged to collect throughout the session. Actions can be collected and shared with project sponsors to progress internally.
Let's Talk!
We’re advocates of crafting tailormade solutions that meet meet your objectives and maximise budgets. Book a meeting with Kasmin today to discuss your people development requirements.
Keeping the Learning Alive
Bitesize Learning Videos
Our bitesize learning video series is made up of short, engaging 10-15 minute videos created to replace traditional e-learning, and/or support the embedding of other learning interventions. The Sexual Harassment bitesize learning session explores the impacts of unwanted sexual conduct and introduces the importance of understanding our own and others’ boundaries.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the definitions of sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, and boundaries.
- Know the impact and consequences of sexual misconduct in the workplace.
- Feel confident to successfully respect the diversity of boundaries amongst the people around us.
Toolkits for Managers
Our carefully curated Equality, Diversity & Inclusion ‘toolkits’ offer an array of self-reflection tools, conversation starters and mini training activities. They are versatile, suitable for a variety of settings such as personal development, team development, inductions, team meetings and one-to-ones. These toolkits work as both timely learning resources and as ongoing educational aids. Each toolkit comes with clear, step-by-step instructions and resources, making them accessible for anyone to use, whether in-person or remotely.
Our training approach is dynamic, focusing on engaging and energising participants through interactive experiences while minimising lecturing. Our experience shows that this is the most effective way to inspire participants and bring about meaningful change within your organisation. These toolkits are not just packed with stimulating activities; they are also crafted to enable facilitators to guide learners effectively. This approach supports the integration of new insights into tangible shifts in thought, behaviour, and action.
What About Actors?
Through clever script writing, goosebump-inducing delivery and professional facilitation, we love to bring learning to life with actors…
We can select scripts from our library or write them specially for you, based on typical scenarios you see within in your organisation. For larger projects where budgets don’t allow for live acting, we can professionally film bespoke scenarios to create video content which can be used in the training as well as induction, toolkits, and beyond.
Using actors in workshop give delegates the opportunity to:
- Test out alternative ways of approaching what can sometimes be difficult situations, without the pressure of role playing themselves!
- Explore what is acceptable and what isn’t; intent versus impact; and both the subtle, and not so subtle, behaviours we see play out in the workplace.
- Be immersed in an interactive learning experience that engages hearts and minds, and sticks in the long-term memory.
Don't Just Take Our Word For It
Nina Darling
UoP SHCP Teaching Fellow, University of Portsmouth“The course which Paula provided was really engaging and nicely presented. The use of the actors was particularly good and actually bought the whole thing to life and made it really valuable learning. Thank you very much – it was fantastic!”
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