Harassment Prevention for Managers

Know your role in recognizing, responding to, and preventing harassment

Why It Matters

When a manager ignores a comment, mishandles a report, or tries to settle things informally, the harm to the employee grows and the organization's exposure grows with it. Many managers are unsure what counts as harassment, what they must report, and what they should never promise. Clear manager practice protects employees, supports a respectful workplace, and helps the organization meet its obligations. It also signals to staff that concerns will be taken seriously.

Course Description

The course focuses on what managers must do, building on the general awareness that all employees receive. Participants review the forms harassment can take and examine scenarios that range from clear-cut to ambiguous, discussing what the manager should notice and do. Practice centers on the moment a report arrives: listening, avoiding promises of confidentiality that cannot be kept, documenting, and escalating through the organization's process. A segment on retaliation shows how subtle actions, such as changed assignments or exclusion from meetings, can count. Participants also discuss prevention: setting expectations, addressing low-level behavior early, and modeling respect. Each person leaves knowing their organization's reporting path and with a personal action checklist.

Key Focus Areas

Participants explore and practice:

Recognizing harassment, including subtle and ambiguous behavior
Receiving a report: listening, documenting, and what not to promise
Escalating through the organization's reporting process
Preventing and recognizing retaliation in its subtle forms
Addressing low-level behavior before it escalates

Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to:

Identify behaviors in workplace scenarios that require manager action
Respond to a harassment report using the organization's process
Document a report accurately and escalate it appropriately
Recognize actions that could be seen as retaliation and avoid them

Who Should Attend

Managers and supervisors
HR staff and employee relations specialists
Executive directors and senior leaders
Team leads with informal supervisory duties

Delivery and Customization

Examples, scenarios, and activities are adapted to your audience and goals. Delivery is available in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format, as a standalone session or as part of a series. Format and length are agreed during scoping.

Related Courses

Harassment Prevention for All Employees · Teamwork, Culture & Inclusion
Respect in the Workplace · Teamwork, Culture & Inclusion
Human Resource Management · HR & Talent Development
Civility in the Workplace · Teamwork, Culture & Inclusion

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