Understanding Arizona Workplace Harassment Laws

As the manager of an industrial company, you may think that workplace harassment laws don’t apply to you. However, even if your business does not have many onsite employees, you need to understand Arizona workplace harassment laws so that you are ready to deal with any claim made by an employee or third party. Taking the time to learn about Arizona workplace harassment laws can help protect you and your company from a lawsuit.

MEGA TOOL CO., LTD is in the industrial field and does a lot of work with large-scale companies such as factories, warehouses, steel companies, paving companies, and manufacturing facilities. While it might seem unlikely for a workplace harassment claim to arise in industrial fields, it can happen in any workplace. Because of that, it’s a good idea to be prepared.

One way to do that is to familiarize yourself with the Arizona workplace harassment laws. Harassment is any “unwanted, offensive conduct” in the workplace. This can be a physical act or can include actions such as making unwanted requests for sexual favors, sending threatening messages, telling jokes, displaying offensive pictures, and so forth. If these acts interfere with an employee’s ability to perform their job, it might be considered harassment.

What You Can Do

Even though you might have an employee handbook, it’s worth your while to amending the handbook to include a clear harassment policy and standards. In your handbook, you will want to cover:

Training

In addition to putting a clear policy in the employee handbook, you want to train your employees on the policy. You can conduct training sessions, using real-world scenarios to help employees understand what could be a potential claim. You can also add training to the onboarding process, so that you ensure that employees know how to handle claims as soon as you hire them.

When they start working for you, use this time to go over anti-harassment and other policies. If you only have a few employees, consider having an in-person meeting. If you have a larger team, consider offering online training that everyone can access at work or from home and complete on their own time.

Policy Enforcement

To make sure your policies are enforced, you need to keep up-to-date files on all harassment claims. Copy emails, texts, or other correspondence related to the claim, along with the statements and responses from those involved. Keep a copy of the final decision and if disciplinary action was taken against the accused, then keep those records as well.

Keeping accurate, consistent, and detailed records is vital if someone makes a complaint. Whenever there are rumors of harassment or a conversation with a victim, take notes, verify facts, and ask questions to help you understand exactly what happened.

You will also want to create a three-member committee to deal with any complaints that are filed. The committee should meet to review the claims and determine whether or not harassment occurred. They will also make recommendations on whether or not disciplinary action should be taken.

Businesses of all shapes and sizes must be prepared to handle harassment claims. If you don’t, you risk facing legal action from the accuser for creating a hostile work environment. Taking the time to be proactive can help you avoid these unwanted situations.

For more information on workplace harassment, take the time to review this useful resource on Arizona workplace harassment.