Insight on Technology

30 Insight on Technology M a y 2 019 Technology tools take on sexual harassment at work I n the not-too-distant past, the idea of employers usi ng tec h nolog y li ke apps a nd v ir tua l rea lit y to report, investigate and prevent sexua l harassment might have sounded li ke something from a futur- istic movie. However, the reckoning brought on by t h e # M eTo o m o v e m e n t h a s p r o m p t e d m a n y employers to see k out bet ter met hod s for combat- i ng workplace harassment. Apps offer easier reporting E mployees who fa i l to repor t perceived se x u a l harassment frequently say they didn't know where to turn for help, especia l ly when t heir ma nagers were i nvolved i n t he ha ra ssment. Today, i nstead of expecting employees who need help to contact specific people or hotline numbers, employers have begun turning to apps for help. E s p ec i a l ly he lpf u l for l a rge e mploye r s w it h mu ltiple locations, these apps a l low employees to ask questions, suggest ideas and lodge complaints. T hey may even remain anonymous if they choose, wh ic h cou ld e ncou ra ge repor t i ng i n sit u at ion s where employees don't know where to turn. And because employee-facing apps capitalize on the one thing most people have readily available — their ever-present smartphones — employers don't have to worry they'll be misplaced or disregarded, unlike, say, a handbook or policy. Software helps manage complicated investigations After receiving a complaint of sexua l harassment, employers are legally obligated to conduct a thorough, fair and accurate investigation to determine what P A R T N E R M E S S A G E Ann Potratz is an associate editor on the human resources publishing team at J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. She researches and creates content for a variety of employment-related subject matters and contributes to a number of human resources products. Ann specializes in employment law issues such as discrimination and harassment, background checks, and security. B Y A N N P O T R AT Z , A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R , J . J . K E L L E R & A S S O C I AT E S , I N C . < T E C H S O L U T I O N S > happened. This may sound straightforward on the surface, but human nature can compli- cate t he process with emotion, dishonesty, preconceived notions and even implicit biases. New software helps employers avoid these pitfalls with clear roadmaps to conduct sexual h a ra ssment i nvestigation s. L oaded w it h tools suc h a s question lists developed by experts to eliminate bias, as well as notices employers can distribute to inform employ- ees of their rights, this type of software can add clarity and organization to an otherwise messy process. T he soft wa re c a n a l so a ssi st w it h record- keepi ng a nd notet a k i ng, wh ic h c a n pl ay a n i mpor t a nt role i f compa n ies need to defend t hem se lves i n cou r t. Agenc ies l i ke t he E qu a l E mplo y me nt O p p or t u n it y C om m i s s i on (E E OC) w i l l look for ev idence t h at employ- ers developed a nd executed a pla n to respond to h a ra ssment. Technology can help prevent sexual harassment, too Roleplaying can be an incredibly effective technique when used in conjunction with training, but it can get uncomfortable fast when the topic is sexua l harassment. Stud- ies have shown when employees are uncom- fortable during training, they tend to check out and disengage from learning. To combat t h i s, compa n ies h ave beg u n designing virtua l rea lit y ( VR) training tools that a l low employees to step into the shoes of an innocent bystander witnessing an episode of work pl ace h a r a s sme nt . E x p e r ie nc i n g Sexual harassment claims are on the rise, with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) reporting more than 7,600 in 2018 (based on preliminary data). rea l-world examples of sexual harassment in an immersive VR set ti ng he lps employees understa nd how they might react and defuse these tricky situations before they escalate. W hen pa i red w it h c la ssic te ac h i ng tec h n ique s , t he se VR programs help reinforce t he by s t a nde r approac h to t ra i n i ng, wh ic h h a s proven more e f fe c t ive t h a n ot he r methods. It also helps employ- ee s avoid t he awk wa rd ne s s o f b e i n g p i g e o n h o l e d a s e i t h e r t h e v i c t i m o r t h e offender during roleplaying. Another benefit of witnessing virtual harassment firsthand? E mployee s si mu lt a neou s ly (a nd s ub con s c iou s ly) le a r n wh at h a ra ssment look s l i ke, meaning they are learning how not to become harassers them- selves. Now that's progress. On the Web jjkeller.com/hr jjkellerlibrary.com Training such as Sexual Harassment Prevention video training from J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. highlights the role of the helpful bystander in preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. P H O T O C O U R T E S Y J . J . K E L L E R & A S S O C I AT E S , I N C .

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