___________________ Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace for Illinois Professionals, 2nd Edition
CONCLUSION Sexual harassment is a civil rights violation that creates a hostile environment for employees and will not be tolerated in Illinois. Sexual harassment puts at risk an individual’s physical and mental health, as well as their financial well-being, livelihood, and career trajectory. All employees, regardless of status, must be trained and challenged to create a system that does not allow harassment while supporting those who experience it.
• Train supervisors and managers on how to handle sexual harassment complaints. • Monitor the workplace for signs of sexual harassment. • Hire diverse people to balance power dynamics. Diversity helps to provide varying perspectives, views, and solutions. • Talk to mental health experts for additional educational needs. It is not enough to have policies in place. The organization’s culture must be such that employees know what sexual harass- ment is, that it is not tolerated, how to report it, and the consequences of being a harasser. Employees must see that leadership is committed to preventing sexual harassment. Most experts emphasize establishing and consistently implementing a zero-tolerance harassment policy. Any policy must be written in conjunction with Illinois legislative mandates. Remember that a zero-tolerance harassment policy should, at a minimum, adhere to state mandates and include the following (Bautista, 2022): • A definition of sexual harassment. • A harassment prohibition statement emphasizing zero tolerance for such harassment.
WORKS CITED https://qr2.mobi/harassment
• A description of the complaint procedure. • A description of disciplinary measures. • A statement of protection against retaliation.
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