HR Professionals Forecast an Increase in Sexual Harassment Complaints in the Workplace

Recent human resources (HR) research signals how critical it is today for employers and HR departments to address sexual harassment prevention. Thirty-eight percent of HR professionals forecast an increase in sexual harassment complaints in the workplace over the next year, while only 7% project a decline, according to a new research report released by HR.com.

The research report, “Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Reigniting Today’s Dangerous Stalled Prevention Programs”, is now available for download. Based on responses from 1,223 HR professionals participating a survey fielded in January 2018, the research covers a range of topics:

– Sexual harassment complaints over the last two years
– Forecasts of future complaints
– Degree of employee understanding of sexual harassment policies
– Effectiveness of sexual harassment training
– Projections of future training efforts
– The degree to which employees feel safe reporting sexual harassment

Progress in reducing incidents of sexual harassment in the workplace has stalled. Just 13% of study participants said there had been a decrease in incidents of sexual harassment over the past two years in their organization, while 15% reported an increase.

“Organizations need to revamp the way they address sexual harassment prevention,” said Debbie McGrath, Chief Instigator and CEO of HR.com. “Training programs should focus harder on instilling desired behaviors rather than just trying to prevent illegal behaviors. The idea should be to recreate respectful environments that honestly value gender diversity.”

The study also found that many employees lack a solid understanding of sexual harassment policies. In fact, only about a third of respondents report that the vast majority of their employees fully understand company policies.

To learn more and read key research insights from this important research, download the complimentary report available online.

DOWNLOAD REPORT: “Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Reigniting Today’s Dangerous Stalled Prevention Programs”

About HR.com
HR.com strives to help create inspired workforces by making HR professionals smarter. Over 1,100,000 HR professionals turn to HR.com as the trusted resource for education, career development, and compliance: thousands of lessons and tips in the HR Genius on-demand training library, 400+ webcasts yearly, the largest HR certification exam preparation practice supporting SHRM and HRCI certification, a legal compliance guidance program, 12 monthly themed interactive HR epublications, and 35+ primary research reports. HR.com offers the best training and networking for HR professionals globally 24/7/365. www.HR.com

For more information, contact:
Debbie McGrath
Chief Instigator and CEO, HR.com
[email protected]
877-472-6648
www.HR.com