Wouldn’t it be nice if we had to work in peace without any form of harassment? If you are a victim of abuse, particularly of a sexual nature, you feel unsafe, disrespected, and worthless.
Sadly, so many people have no idea of what to do when subjected to such situations and, most times, brush it off. Well, it solves the issue by hashing it out for that exact time, but is that the best thing to do? The abusers will get right back at it the very instance they spot a window of opportunity.
Well then, the only solution is to grab the bull by the horn and face it one-on-one by punishing the offenders. One way the state of California is doing so is through a bill passed recently on a mandatory anti-sexual harassment training that employers must adhere to.
So why now?
For a long time, there has been an increase in the cases involving sexual harassment in California, and something had to be done. The exponential rise in these cases spiked a need for a new bill that empowers employees working under conditions that lead to sexual assault and be their voice. They get educated on several things to help them understand that they have a say in the matter too. You would be inclined to think that people should stand up for themselves, but look at this scenario:
You are a newly employed secretary, fresh out of college, and have just settled on your first real job. But one thing is off, your boss keeps sending you inappropriate gestures and even goes to an extent to groping you when one is watching. What do you do?
Most would jump to say, report them. But to who will they do this? You see, that is why mandatory training is essential. Anyone subjected to such treatments will know their rights, and if they are violated, they will know what channels to follow to file a lawsuit against the offender.
The bill helps to educate both employees and employers about sexual harassment
The bill affects every employer with at least five people under them. And they have to make sure all their employees have gone through the training by January 1, 2024. This will extend to even the new hires after that date. Their training should be done before they hit the sixth month of employment. With this in play, sexual harassment in California will be a thing of the past.
The training will be available via webinar, online or in-person, but with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the first two are the best ways. This DFEH training program is offered in English but will soon be available in other languages.
For those who cannot control themselves, there’s a top California sexual harassment lawyer waiting to generate a settlement if they disobey.
All managers and supervisors must undergo 2-hour sessions and everyone else 1-hour, and the training is to be repeated every two years.
Cases of sexual harassment in California will now be history, and no one will have to be victimized again. The world is indeed changing for the better, one step at a time.
