11/ 21/ 2006
Are you and your employees ready to celebrate a successful year? Let the good times roll at the annual office holiday party--after all, anything goes, right? Wrong. What happens in Vegas may stay there, but questionable behavior at a company holiday party can have costly repercussions for your business. The best defense against potential lawsuits is proactive training against offensive behavior. Check out these myth-busters to ensure your holidays are merry and bright.
Myth: Holiday parties are on employees' own time. They are free to do whatever they want.
Fact: Technically, an office-sponsored holiday party is a work activity. As such, unacceptable behavior, including sexual harassment, should not be tolerated.
Myth: What I don't know can't hurt me or my business.
Fact: As the employer, you are responsible for employees' actions, whether or not they inform you of the situation. To protect against a lawsuit, you must show that you took reasonable care to prevent and correct any sexual harassment within your workplace. To increase your awareness, conduct an annual survey that simply asks all of your employees whether they have experienced any form of harassment.
Myth: Holiday parties are annual events, so any problems that arise are isolated incidents.
Fact: Your business' anti-harassment policy is in effect 24-7. There are no exceptions for special events or circumstances. An effective anti-harassment policy should be detailed in writing, include a zero-tolerance approach, should be shared with each employee and reinforced with training. If a dispute arises, promptly conduct a thorough investigation. Document every step of the process, from complaint through post-resolution follow-up with the employee, to ensure no retaliation occurred.
Myth: Employees can handle problems on their own or with their immediate supervisors.
Fact: Employees do have an obligation to report sexual harassment that they experience or witness, but you should give them several ways to file complaints. Contacting their supervisors should be one route. Having a hotline number and giving employees the choice to report claims to male or female supervisors are other viable alternatives.
Myth: Everyone in my office gets along great, so the chances of this problem affecting my business are slim to none.
Fact: There is a good chance that at some point in your business life, you'll need to respond to a sexual harassment concern, if not a lawsuit. At least 40 percent of all women report being sexually harassed at some point in their career, and men currently account for 11.6 percent of all sexual harassment cases. These statistics reflect only reported cases. Remember to treat all complaints, including same-sex harassment, equally.
