Merry Campbell, Chair of the Shulman Rogers Employment and Labor Law Practice, was quoted in the “Answers to Tough HR Questions” section of the September 1, 2016 issue of What’s Working in Human Resources.
Can our harassment policy save us from liability?
Q: Our employee handbook clearly outlines the procedure for reporting harassment. But if an employee fails to use it, can we still be held liable for harassment?
Answer: Yes. It’s not enough to merely have a harassment policy, courts have said employees must be aware that the policy exists, says Meredith Campbell (mcampbell@shulmanrogers.com), co-chair, Employment and Labor Group at Shulman Rogers.
In other words, just drafting a policy and putting it in your handbook may not be enough. You must also effectively communicate the policy to your employees, and this may require not only handbook dissemination and review, but also regular harassment training – even for seasonal and temporary staff.
Read the September 1, 2016 issue of What’s Working in Human Resources here.
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