With budgets getting tighter and tighter, you’ll probably need to prove that training to prevent sexual harassment actually works. Some numbers that tie training to complaints could help.

First, understand that, overall, complaints about sexual harassment and discrimination have risen in the last year to record numbers - the 83,000 complaints filed with EEOC represents the greatest number since 1992. No one’s sure why, but some speculate that a sour economy produces sour employees who are more likely to complain and sue. 

However, sexual harassment complaints had been dropping steadily, and even when they rose, the increase was usually at a lesser rate than other types of complaints, such as discrimination. Why the apparent slowing of sexual harassment complaints? The answer points to training. 

Three relevant factors

In 1997, when sexual harassment complaints began to decline, in a landmark case the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a company could present an “affirmative defense” against charges of sexual harassment - meaning any steps to train employees on avoiding harassment would count in the employer’s favor when a complaint was filed. 

A lot of companies picked up on that cue and began specific training on sexual harassment. Result: Complaints dropped. 

Another factor: The country’s most populous state, California, made sexual harassment training mandatory for employers.

And a study by the law firm of Littler Mendelson showed that complaints about sexual harassment dropped 37% after Washington state implemented mandatory training for government employees. The savings in administrative and legal costs amounted to $2 million.

The message: Training works, and it saves money and aggravation in the long run.

Tags: California, eeoc, Sexual harrassment, Training, washington