On Wed, May 4, 2016 at 11:13 AM, Risker
<risker.wp(a)gmail.com> wrote:... In
many settings, including healthcare, higher
education, and certain
industries, ALL staff are provided with anti-harassment training; it's
often treated as an extension of basic health and safety training, and is
frequently mandatory.
I would add government sector to that list, especially since WP is more and
more partnering with government agencies.
Neotarf, I'd actually question whether there's any validity to the
*perception* that training works; in fact, there are a
lot of studies that
indicate training (particularly ritualized training that is provided
without a specific context) is not closely associated with behavioural
change. It's only a step above "create a policy".
I have seen it work over and over, routinely. A new employee comes in, is
given a many-times-xeroxed and barely legible packet to read, and when they
finish they are given a paper to sign that they have read the
anti-harassment training materials and will abide by the policy. The
packet contains scenarios like complimenting a woman on her dress; it's
okay to say she looks nice in the dress, it's not okay to wax poetic about
what it does for her figure. The training material also spells out what to
do and who do go to in case of harassment, i.e. do they have to say
something to the harasser first that their comments are not welcome,
etc.before they fill out a harassment form, which will undoubtedly have a
form number; also which HR functionary is responsible and what paperwork
they have to maintain in the employee file. I'm still trying to get my
head around the "only a step above 'create a policy'" thing. If
something
is policy, it is a done deal.
What works is regular reinforcement when behaviour
lapses, and empowerment
of people to reinforce the desired behaviour.
The behaviour never lapses. I suppose nobody wants that in their personnel
file.
I don't understand why the WMF has both an anti-discrimination policy and a
privacy policy that they are apparently not interested in enforcing. But
maybe my expectation that "if something is policy, it is a done deal" is
based on the kind of accountability that comes with Title 7 and the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 that only applies to employers and employees, in spaces
that employers can control.