As lucrative as the hospitality industry can be, managers frequently face a number of challenges in terms of retaining employees while remaining in compliance with health and safety standards. The challenges faced by hospitality industry management include:

Maintaining a reputation for high-quality service

Encompassing not just hotel and food service businesses, the term hospitality industry also includes transportation, tourist attractions, and amusement parks. Around the world, the hotel and restaurant business alone is a nearly $3 trillion industry. It is estimated that tens of millions of people are employed in the hospitality industry. As such, there is naturally a lot on the line when it comes to retaining employees while adhering to compliance standards.

Management must ensure that employees are properly prepared for practically any scenario. At the same time, it’s vital for hospitality industry management to be assured their employees are satisfied in an effort to keep their turnover rate low. The best way to accomplish all these goals is with an effective yet convenient training delivery method. Online training can accomplish all of these goals.

The hospitality industry is dependent on delivering high customer service. Along with this territory come insurance and regulation concerns. Having a permit taken away or a lawsuit brought against a business can quickly spell disaster. Therefore, it’s necessary for managers to ensure employees are properly trained on health and safety issues. Online training, such as Work Health and Safety Standards, makes it easy for hospitality businesses to ensure their employees can avoid potentially detrimental incidences.

The consequences of a fire can be devastating in any industry, resulting in thousands of dollars in damage while putting lives at risk. In the hospitality industry, the consequences of a fire can be more serious. With the assistance of an online fire safety awareness course, managers can ensure their employees and guests stay safe. This course helps employees learn about fire prevention, minimizing fire hazards, and how to detect fires.

Businesses in the hospitality industry are often prime targets for terror organizations. Online training courses, such as a bioterrorism awareness course, can provide employees in the hospitality industry with the information necessary to recognize the elements of a terrorist attack, prepare for an attack, and understand the proper actions to take in the event of an attack.

Compared to other industries, the hospitality industry tends to have a higher turnover rate. A number of factors contribute to this higher turnover rate, including the fact that hospitality jobs tend to be part time and seasonal in nature. An effort among employees to upgrade their positions combined with lower-than-average wages contribute to higher turnover rates. As a result, the hospitality industry has to deal with near-constant onboarding of new employees. This can create numerous training challenges. Yet, managers must rise to the challenge and ensure that new employees have necessary training as quickly as possible. Online training makes it possible for managers to meet their objectives quickly and easily. When employees feel as though employers take a genuine interest in their well-being, they are much more likely to stay rather than searching for new employment.

Developing a reputation for quality customer service

Any business in the hospitality industry is dependent on maintaining a reputation for quality customer service. This is necessary for not only attracting new customers but also retaining current customers. Even a single incident, such as food poisoning, can cause a business’s reputation to suffer. Conversely, when a business is well known for safe practices and cleanliness, customers will naturally increase. A food safety and sanitation course can help make sure an unfortunate incident does not destroy a business’s reputation. The best way to ensure a solid reputation for customer service is to make certain employees are trained to meet high safety and health service standards.

Although these factors demonstrate the challenges associated with health and safety training for hospitality industry employees, it is now easier than ever to meet those standards with online training. Managers can streamline training while taking advantage of an easy-to-use delivery system. As a result, training becomes more effective and flexible. Online training is also easily scalable to meet the changing needs of a business’s workforce.

The reality is that accidents can happen at any time in any industry. In the hospitality industry, managers are responsible for the health and safety of not only their employees but also every guest that enters their establishment. Employees must understand how to protect themselves, co-workers, and customers. Effective training ensures no one gets hurt and your business is not penalized for failure to adhere to regulations. Online health and safety training is the ideal tool to teach employees how they can make the best decisions for their safety, for the safety of their customers, and to avoid potential hazards and risks.

Safety and security are among the most important issues within the hospitality industry. From ensuring that guests have an exceptional experience to protecting everyone who walks in the door, managers have a tremendous responsibility. As challenging as that responsibility may be, it does not have to be difficult. Online training can provide the tools hospitality managers need to keep their establishments safe, reduce employee turnover, and provide guests with a superior experience.

For more insights, subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs.

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A good way to ensure that your employees are safe is by providing proper training. Learn more about why safety training is so important in the hospitality industry.

Why is safety training important in the hospitality industry

In September 2004, Governor Arnold Schwarznegger signed into effect AB1825, an assembly bill which created requirements around sexual harassment training for Californian employers and employees.

Recently, we published an article detailing ‘What Californian Businesses Need to Know About AB1825What Californian Businesses Need to Know About AB1825What Californian Businesses Need to Know About AB1825’ which goes over the nuts and bolts of the requirements. In essence, employers and companies with over 50 staff must provide a total of at least two hours of sexual harassment training to their supervisors.

The introduction of AB1825 was the first of many steps taken by the state of California in order to combat issues within the workplace focused around harassment and discrimination. Such training is now common place throughout several states including Maine and Connecticut, which first led this initiative in 1991 and 1992 respectively.

However, recently a number of updates and amendments have been made to these bills to ensure training meets the needs of today’s modern society.

In 2015, California introduced the AB2053 amendment which updated the mandatory training for teams to now also cover anti-bullying training in relation to this type of misconduct, in addition to the anti-harassment training which was previously required.

Most recently the Transgender Work Opportunity Act – Senate Bill (SB) 396 was established. As part of California’s SB396 update, employers’ anti-harassment training must also cover training around gender identity and sexual orientation. All Californian businesses over 50 staff in size must be compliant with this as of 1 January 2018. 

It’s clear to see that governments are making changes that adapt to the progressive society we’re living in, and the difference of individuals within them. Whilst legislation has been the driver catalyst for this training, modern employers are rolling out this training across their entire teams nationwide, in order to educate and empower their teams.

Whether you’re in California, Connecticut, or Maine – at Go1 we have a number of courses that are in full compliance with AB1825, AB2053, and SB396 – with a variety of course lengths available should you wish to offer a shorter course to those not in supervisory positions too.

Updating your California sexual harassment compliance - Go1

California sexual harassment compliance – are you up to date? (AB1825 + AB2053 + SB396)

Do you know what your responsibilities are under the GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will finally come into effect on May 25 2018. That means you’ve still got a few months left to adjust your business to the new framework for EU data protection that was created way back in April 2016.

This is one of the most important changes to data protection there has been, which gives people in the EU more control over what happens with their personal data. We all know that businesses, whether you are big or small, are always responsible for customer data and to protect sensitive information.

With the GDPR, this is an obligation that is more important now than ever before.

There’s no way your business can ignore it or not take your responsibilities seriously. This data protection framework will introduce stricter and tougher regulations than before, which means bigger fines and more punishment for businesses that don’t comply with it.

Now you can face millions of dollars in fines or as much as four percent of your annual turnover to pay-out in punishment.

For a lot of businesses, there’s even a risk of insolvency when it’s combined with the possibility that customers can individually sue you for data protection breaches.

Naturally, businesses view the GDPR as a burden and something that’s complicated and going to make their life more difficult. But, you can actually use it to your advantage.

If you make it obvious to your customers that you’re compliant and following these new rules to protect their data, you might actually bring in more custom and be seen as trustworthy.

Of course, you might be thinking that the GDPR doesn’t apply to you because your business isn’t in Europe. But these regulations will apply to certain data controllers and processors if you offer goods or services within the EU and process EU citizen’s personal data.

With the internet and online businesses, this means an ever-increasing number of international businesses will be governed by the GDPR. So, you’ll likely need a representative for your business in the EU.

With the introduction of the GDPR looming on the horizon, it’s time to get your company ready. Let’s find out about the key changes that will be introduced by the new GDPR legislation so that you can make sure that your business fulfills its obligations.

Under the GDPR, its now going to be a mandatory obligation to appoint a data protection officer for your business in certain circumstances.

This will include if you are a public authority, your core activities include regular monitoring of data subjects or if you process large amount of data.

This will mean that you’ll need to hire a new data protection officer that has the knowledge and experience to ensure that all personal data is secure and collected properly. If you have someone who can fulfill this duty, you can simply promote them instead of hiring someone new.

Right now, it’s easy to hide consent away in the small print. But, the GDPR introduces a stricter definition of consent, which means that this now must be clear to customers – inactivity no longer counts as consent either.

The consent has got to be informed and freely given by your customers, which means you may need to make changes to your website or documentation going forward.

The GDPR is all about putting customer’s first and making sure their personal data is looked after. Under the new regulations, you’ve got to make sure that personal information is given to customers free of charge – you can no longer charge for it and it’s got to be delivered within one month.

Customers will have the right to see all of the information you have about them and will have more control over what happens to it.

This also means that customers can ask to have their personal data erased in certain circumstances. For example, this may be when consent has been withdrawn or it’s no longer necessary to keep it.

If you don’t follow the regulations in the GDPR, the worst thing you can do is ignore them and hope it goes away.

There’s now a rule that you must report breaches within 72 hours. That’s why it’s important to make sure that all of your employees know the processes and ways they can see if anything has gone wrong with data protection.

It should be made clear to all employees that they should report any mistakes or problems that they come across within 72 hours to avoid serious punishment.

The GDPR makes businesses more accountable for data protection. This means that you’ll have a lot more processes to introduce to show that you’re compliant with all of the regulations.

This includes keeping certain documentation, completing data protection impact assessments and introducing data protection policies in the office.

Now is the time to get your employees up to speed and offer training to get everyone on the same page in preparation for the GDPR. With big fines and tough punishments, it’s important that you follow all of the regulations closely.

These are only some of the changes that the GDPR has introduced – you’ll find there are lots of other rules and regulations that you’ve got to follow too.

Don’t panic - you’ve still got time to prepare and train your employees to ensure you know all the regulations before it’s introduced on May 25 2018.

Get started with Data Protection Courses in Go1 Premium today

What you need to know about the GDPR update

Does your company keep up-to-date with compliance training?

We all know that compliance training is important for business since it allows your employees to know how to act and work on a daily basis. In particular, training helps everyone understand the rules they should be following and the regulations that are necessary for your line of work.

In addition, compliance training creates uniformity in your organization and makes employees more efficient and productive at their job. Not only can they make the correct choices and decisions, but they can also avoid making costly errors.

But, let’s be honest – not a lot of people enjoy compliance training. It’s not going to have everyone cheering and excited on a Monday morning. Yet, it’s something that is necessary and vital for your company. Your business simply can’t run properly without it.

Despite this, compliance training is sometimes rushed and gets overlooked, especially when it comes to keeping up-to-date with the latest rules and regulations.

It’s important to realize that making sure your compliance training is relevant and keeps up with new rules and policies is even more important now than ever before.

Otherwise, employees are learning about aspects of business that are no longer relevant and missing out on what is really important. This is how mistakes happen.

That’s why you’ve got to make sure your compliance training is ongoing. So, the natural question is – how can your business keep up-to-date with compliance training?

Well, the answer is online learning courses. This is the new way of learning that businesses are incorporating into training because they’re easy to access and to use on demand.

Not only that, but online learning courses can actually make compliance training fun. Who thought that was possible, right? Well, through interactive features, as well as animated videos and colorful presentations, employees actually want to learn again.

Yet, like everything else, not all online learning courses are created equal. You’ve got to make sure you are getting quality courses that are going to cover everything you need for compliance training. So, how do you choose where to get your courses?

Well, thankfully you are in the right place! Let’s have a look at Go1 Premium and see what it’s got to offer your business and employees.

Go1 Premium can solve all of your compliance and employee training problems. We are an established leader in online learning and education, which means your company is going to have access to the best training there is.

It doesn’t matter what industry or field you are in, Go1 Premium is what you need for your compliance training and for keeping up-to-date with your needs. It’s got everything you need in one place.

So, let’s have a look at what Go1 Premium features you can use for your compliance training.

The amazing thing about Go1 Premium is that it covers all industries and fields.

We’ve got thousands of courses you can choose to incorporate into your employee training and professional development strategies, such as leadership, sales skills, customer service and IT training.

Of course, we also have off-the-shelf compliance training courses to meet your needs. They’re all kept up-to-date to keep up with the latest developments and changes.

Plus, they’re created by compliance experts so that your team can learn everything there is to know. There’s relevant compliance training based on the region where you make the purchase so that you know your team is getting the right information.

Whether you need a compliance course on manual handling or training for anti-money laundering, check out Go1 Premium!

It’s great to provide your employees with lots of training opportunities. But, you also need to know that your team are using them and are completing them correctly in order to learn.

This is especially true when it comes to compliance training. With Go1 Premium, you can track your training courses and the progress of your employees. Our tools let you examine reports and see who is doing well and who could do with a little extra help.

This is great for making sure all of your employees are meeting their compliance training goals and are at a competent level for their role in your business.

If you want to create your own compliance courses to suit your business, Go1 Premium also offers modern and easy-to-use tools so you can do it yourself!

You can build your own course right from the beginning and you can create content for your employees so that the course covers everything that you need.

The team at Go1 Premium are always on hand if you need them, no matter what day or time it is or what country you are based in.

The customer support team are friendly and know what they’re doing. So, all you’ve got to do is use the live help service when you need it the most and someone will be there right away to respond.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a small business or a large company – there’s always a plan for you at Go1 Premium.

This means that if you’ve got under 20 users or a higher volume of employees that you need to complete compliance training, you can choose a plan that works for you. Plus, why not take advantage of our free trial?

There you have it – the best parts about Go1 Premium. In today’s world, it’s important that your employees stay up-to-date with compliance training. Otherwise, not knowing the rules and regulations can come with some serious consequences.

So, why not try out Go1 Premium today and see what it has to offer your business?


How to keep up-to-date with your compliance training

Do your employees truly know how to keep your company data safe?

In today’s world, every organization stores at least some of their important information digitally. Technology offers businesses so many more opportunities and now there’s no need to keep files and files of hard documents lying around the office.

Everything can be accessed and stored “in the cloud” these days.

However, as the use of technology in business rises, so does the risks of something going wrong. In particular, phishing scams, identity theft and third party fraud are common ways that unauthorized persons can get their hands on your important data.

Anything from customer details, employee records and financial transactions are targeted and at risk of being stolen, destroyed or used against you.

Of course, you don’t have to just sit back and wait for it to happen.

There’s lots of ways you can prevent this disaster from happening to your company. All you’ve got to do is be proactive and make sure you have proper measures in place to protect your company data.

The truth is, most data breaches can be avoided. This worst part is that a lot of employees knowingly or accidentally contribute to this risk. Yet, this doesn’t mean you should blame your employees – you’ve got to provide them with training so they understand their responsibilities.

So, this is where the starting point has to be.

It all starts with education and learning ways to prevent problems from happening in the first place. 

With a data privacy and information security course like we offer here at Go1, you can make sure your employees are knowledgeable and know how to stop data breaches.

With a skilled workforce, you’ll be able to protect all of your data from outside attacks and prevent the trouble and loss of productivity that is associated with data loss. Your customers will trust your business, you will avoid financial loss and your reputation won’t be tarnished.

With the help of our course, you can make your company security system a fortress!

This course is going to provide your employees with the resources and knowledge they need to understand and practice data protection and information security.

The content is kept interesting and will be useful for every kind of employee – from management to office employees. It will discuss the importance of data privacy and information security, as well as asset protection.

All of the information is relayed to your employees in an easy to understand way that makes it better to absorb and remember. It’s designed to be engaging so that everyone can learn.

This course will allow all employees to fully understand their roles and responsibilities when it comes to protecting data at work and keeping sensitive information safe and protected from third parties and threats.

Our course is great for compliance training needs and for creating an information systems security program for your company. There’s no better way to teach employees and make sure your business information and sensitive data doesn’t get into the wrong hands.

It’s easy to get started and this course can be incorporated into your LMS for simple learning. You can have your employees learning as soon as tomorrow!

Why is a Data Privacy and Information Security Course Important?

Data protection is more important now than ever before. Technology is always changing, which means that threats to your company data come in many different forms.

There’s always new malware, phishing attacks and ways that hackers are discovering to get into your information system. These malicious tactics are constantly evolving, which means you have to make sure your business keeps up.

With the installation of modern security controls along with teaching your employees all about data protection, you can make sure these threats aren’t a problem for your business any longer.

With the help of our data privacy and information security course, you can provide comprehensive training for your employees and provide them with the knowledge they need to make sure all data and sensitive information are protected.

At the end of the day, your customers trust you and this means that it’s your business’s responsibility to use every technique there is to protect their data and information. With the help of our course, your employees can learn how to do this effectively.

As we mentioned, a lot of data breaches happen as a result of employee mistakes. It’s not about pointing the blame – it’s about recognizing where there’s work to be done.

By provided training and teaching your employees their duties and responsibilities, these risks of data breaches can be minimized, if not completed eradicated from the workplace.

This way you can not only protect your customer data and employees but also your company’s reputation. You want to be known as the company that can be trusted and is serious about security and data protection – not the other way around.

Every penny spent on data protection and information security is worth it. In particular, our training course is money well spent and will make sure that you minimize your financial loss later down the line and comply with regulations.

So, it’s time to take back control of data protection. With a data protection and information security course, you can get everyone back up to speed and fully equipped on how to stay safe in this evolving technological age.

Don’t let the hackers winner – beat them at their own game and protect your company and customers once and for all!


Data privacy and information security training

If you plan on working in Australia’s construction industry, you’ll need to complete compulsory ‘white card’ training.

This white card certification shows prospective employers that you have passed mandatory general construction safety training – which is incredibly important for your own safety, as well as the safety of other workers around you.

As a nation-wide accreditation, your white card makes it easy for you to work across borders, being recognised in all Australian states and territories. So whether you’re working in Queensland, NSW or WA, you’ll be asked to show white card certification before stepping onto any job site.

Keen to find out the best way to get your white card? Here’s all the information you need to know.

As you’re no doubt aware, when it comes to working in the construction industry, safety is paramount. It’s vital that all employees are aware of safe work practices and principles, to avoid any dangers to themselves and others.

Australian construction workers must have specific knowledge of personal protection equipment (PPE), safety and hazard signs, risk management, and workplace injury management. White card training provides all workers with up-to-date information on these important subjects, which helps construction workers to know exactly how to act appropriately in any workplace situation.

Through white card training, you’ll also cover important legal topics such as workers compensation, OH&S legislative requirements, and incident reporting procedures. You might think you’ll never need to use this kind of information, but it’s always best to be prepared!

White card accreditation is mandatory for all workers in the construction industry, including trainees/apprentices, tradespersons, labourers, and self-employed contractors working under their own ABN.

You’ve established you need to get a white card – so how do you go about it?

To get your white card certification, you’ll need to complete the accredited white card training course, which can be done either in a face-to-face classroom environment or online.

With face-to-face training, you’ll attend a one-day session, after which you’ll be presented with your certification.

If you’d rather complete your course online, you can simply log in and go through the training materials at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home. Online white card courses take about three to six hours to complete, and upon completion you’ll receive your white card accreditation.

The benefits of getting your white card online 

Online learning is fast becoming the preferred method of training for many organisations. Workers across all industries, including construction, can benefit from the convenience of online (or eLearning) courses.

When you choose to take your white card training online, you’ll know that the course is up-to-date and complies with all federal mandatory requirements. And you’ll be able to access the online materials 24/7, meaning you can complete the course at your leisure, at a time and place that suits you.

More workplace safety and compliance training 

For employers, having staff complete courses online is an efficient and effective training solution. It’s not just white card training that can be accessed online – check out the many workplace safety courses on the Go1 platform.

Through our online WH&S and compliance courses, you can dramatically reduce the risk of workplace incidents across your organisation. By committing to employee health and safety you’ll also be lowering the chance of financial implications for your business.

This month, it’s a good idea to set aside some time to make sure your company’s social media policy is up-to-date.

Social media certainly has its benefits in the business world, allowing us to connect like never before, and increasing the diversity and volume of recruitment. There’s no doubt that using social media in the right way can raise more awareness of your organisation and what it does. But the world of social media can also have its downside.

We’ve seen many brands damage their reputations – and profits – through social media mishaps. We’ve also heard the stories of workers being fired for their careless use of social media. And with new social media platforms appearing on the scene all the time, it’s important to know the potential risks they could have for your company and employees.

The fact is, your social media policy must be as fast-paced and fluid as social media itself, to keep up-to-date with what’s going on in the digital landscape. That’s why it’s so important that all businesses, large and small, make sure their social media policy is regularly reviewed and updated. So when did you last review your policy?

Meghan M. Biro, founder and CEO of TalentCulture Consulting Group, is a firm believer in annual reviews for corporate social media policies, recommending that companies update their policy at least on an annual basis to reflect industry changes, avoid legal troubles and protect company secrets.

Biro also points out that only 51 percent of people said their employers have social media guidelines.

“Developing a social media policy and keeping it up to date will ensure that your employees are aware of what they can and cannot do, help your company avoid violating any rules and ultimately serve to cover the company's you-know-what,” she says.

The Risks of Social Media for Your Company

In a previous article, we’ve talked at length about why you need a good social media policy for your organisation.

These days, with much of our life being documented online, there is a thinner line between what’s private and public. Many people include details of their occupation and employer on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, meaning anything that is posted on social media could be seen to reflect that company’s organisational values.

Whether you like it or not, the way in which your employees use Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms can have an impact on the professional and ethical reputation of your organisation. It can also lead to serious legal ramifications and security risks for the company.

Things can become even more complex when it comes to protecting sensitive or confidential information. How can you know, or control, what content employees are posting on social media?

To avoid any risk from this kind of situation, it’s vital for all businesses to have a strong social media policy in place, outlining guidelines and expected behaviour from their employees.

A good social media policy will help to define what’s appropriate for staff to post about their company on social media channels. Having clearly defined guidelines means all employees know the difference between what’s appropriate and not appropriate to discuss on social media. This information will need to be regularly updated as the business grows and develops.

Your social media policy can also help to safeguard sensitive data from potential hackers and scams. This is really important if you’ve got employees working remotely, or bringing their own devices into work.

Make Sure All Staff are Aware of Your Social Media Policy

Your social media policy should be part of a company-wide training plan that includes everyone in your organisation.

Biro raises a good point: “Just because Sarah is a Millennial, who works in marketing and Joe is a boomer toiling away on the factory floor, don’t assume that Joe knows nothing about social media, and Sarah is the digital native.”

These days, expect employees of all generations and backgrounds to be using social media. The best way to make sure that all staff are aware of the policy and its guidelines is to run social media training.

Basic social media training will let your team know how you expect them to represent your brand online, and what they can and cannot talk about. You’ll be able to make sure staff are familiar with the key points in your social media policy, as well as who to contact if they have any questions or are unsure of what’s appropriate.

Using an online platform to deliver your social media training will help you reach all staff, regardless of geographic location. You can also find plenty of good online courses that will help you in creating your own social media policy.

Take a look at this short one-hour course on Developing a Social Media Policy. This eLearning course is useful for anyone wanting to know more about protecting their business and employees while using social media. You’ll also receive a free social media policy example for you to download at the end.

Need training for your team? Get started with Go1 Premium now!

With Christmas just around the corner and the holiday season in full swing, it's time for the annual end-of-year work party for many companies. While this is supposed to be a time of high spirits, fun and celebration with your team mates, these occasions can unfortunately often see incidents of sexual harassment rise in number.

In recent months, we’ve seen a lot of media focus and discussion around the pervasiveness of sexual harassment in many industries. The Australian Human Rights Commission’s 2012 survey tells us that 1 in 4 women (25%) and 1 in 6 men (16%) have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.

To address these figures, it’s vital that Australian employers take a strong stand against sexual harassment, discouraging it in all its various forms and in all work environments – including staff Christmas parties.

You can reduce the risk of incidents taking place at your work party by making sure you have a proper understanding of exactly what constitutes sexual harassment, what steps you can take to prevent it, and how you can create a zero tolerance culture in your organisation.

Be Aware of What Constitutes Sexual Harassment 

One of the biggest problems with sexual harassment is that it can take the form of many different behaviours and actions, with some of them less obvious or aggressive than others.

Whilst many people may think of sexual harassment purely in terms of unwanted sexual advances or inappropriate touching, it can also encompass other more subtle forms of behaviour – behaviour that is still, however, completely unacceptable. At a work social event, such as the end-of-year party, these lines can unfortunately become even more blurred.

The Australian Human Rights Commission defines sexual harassment as “any unwanted or unwelcome sexual behaviour, which makes a person feel offended, humiliated or intimidated.” There are many ways that an individual can be made to feel uncomfortable or intimidated, without physical contact occurring. And they are all potentially damaging.

Unfortunately, in many workplaces, particularly male-dominated work environments, unacceptable actions or comments are often passed off as “jokes” or locker room talk, or just dismissed with a shrug and a “boys will be boys” attitude. When mixed with alcohol and the casual atmosphere of the staff Christmas party, these attitudes can really rise to the surface.

Regardless of whether someone is staring inappropriately, making sexually suggestive comments, telling inappropriate “jokes” or subjecting you to unwelcome physical contact – all of these examples are considered sexual harassment and are behaviours that are completely unacceptable in any work environment.

Make Sure Your Organisation Has a Clear Sexual Harassment Policy

The key to preventing sexual harassment from occurring within your company is for employers and management to ensure that they have a clear policy in place, that defines sexual harassment and outlines unacceptable behaviour and its consequences.

Developing and promoting this policy will make it clear to every employee that sexual harassment is 100% unacceptable in your workplace – at any time. Create a clear and effective policy on sexual harassment, communicating it to all staff within your organisation.

Be sure that your policy is compliant with all local, state and federal laws. Define clear consequences for any form of sexual harassment and monitor staff to make sure employees are complying with this policy.

As an employer, you have a responsibility to be on the lookout for inappropriate conduct and to stop it right away. Be aware that you can also be held liable for the actions of an individual, if it can be shown that you knew sexual harassment was occurring and failed to address the matter.

Make sure that you and other managers encourage the prompt reporting of incidents and always act immediately on any complaints that involve sexual harassment.

Make Sexual Harassment Training Compulsory for All Staff

Make sure that training around the subject of sexual harassment is ongoing for all employees, with refresher training sessions held at least once a year to remind staff of the policy and reinforce its key messages.

You can also hold separate sessions for all managers and supervisors, to educate them on the policy and make sure they are aware of the correct procedures. Managers, supervisors and team leaders should participate in training specifically relevant for their positions, as they can play a significant role in preventing workplace harassment.

Your leaders must be up-to-date with all sexual harassment laws in your state and know how to deal with any incidences in the proper way.

You might want to communicate a reminder to staff, at this time of year, that there will be zero tolerance for sexual harassment of any form at the company Christmas party or end-of-year celebration.

Zero Tolerance for Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

When incidences of sexual harassment occur within a company, it results in serious negative impacts for both the individual and the organisation as a whole.

Cultivate a zero tolerance work culture, making it clear to all staff that sexual harassment is neither welcome nor tolerated. Make sure individuals are aware of their rights and are empowered with a clear idea of what constitutes sexual harassment, so they can feel confident in addressing and reporting it. 

Also, ensure managers, supervisors and team leaders understand their particular role in maintaining a strong stance against harassment in the workplace and leading by example.

In group environments such as the workplace, sexual harassment can have an unfortunate cumulative effect on other staff who bear witness to the behaviour, serving to reinforce and normalise negative male/female stereotypes – especially if the behaviour is not stopped. This is why it’s so important to speak up when you see or hear something unacceptable, even if you’re not in a management position. And yes, even at the staff Christmas party.

By speaking out against sexual harassment, and calling out inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, you can challenge and change the dynamics in your own sphere of influence. You’ll also be encouraging other women, and men, to do the same.

Everyone has a right to enjoy their end-of-year celebration in a safe, positive environment – just think about that for a moment.

If you’d like to learn more about handling sexual harassment in the workplace, or how you can take steps to prevent harassment in your organisation, you might like to read our previous articles:

The Importance of Sexual Harassment Policies

The Impact of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Speaking Out Against Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Zero tolerance for sexual harassment at staff parties

Are you hosting a work holiday party, but want to make sure everything goes to plan this year?

The festive holidays are nearly upon us, which means tis the season to be jolly! Not only is it one of the best times of the year for social gatherings with family and friends, but it is also a time of celebration for many companies and businesses.

It marks the end of the business year and this means thanking employees for all their hard work over the last 12 months. Of course, everyone really loves the free food and drinks at the holiday party - this is normally the highlight of the year for many people!

We’ve all heard the stories that float around the office the following week about the time someone had a little too much at the work Christmas party.

While these stories can be harmless and funny, often things can turn sour pretty quickly at a work holiday party, especially when alcohol is involved.

Intoxication and employees going overboard when it comes to alcohol can lead to serious problems for your company. We aren’t just talking about spilled drinks – we mean safety concerns, bad behavior and harassment claims.