Sexual harassment is, and has been, an issue many companies, organizations and institutions fear, misunderstand and often try to ignore, in hopes it will go away. It will not.

Recent court decisions require that organizations employing fifteen people or more have a specific policy on sexual harassment, adequate procedures for receiving and investigating complaints and education sessions for all employees, outlining the policy, the specifics of sexual harassment and the remedies available.

Sexual Harassment: Eliminating Its Presence in the Workplace provides a step-by-step process for identifying an organization’s current position, developing an effective policy statement, creating procedures for receipt, investigation and resolution of sexual harassment complaints and providing an ongoing program of training and education.

A sexual harassment policy states the organization’s guidelines. Dr. Landrum walks the reader through designing a policy tailor-made for the user’s organization, with various examples from which to draw. The procedures are the nuts and bolts that support the policy. Again, samples are provided, quick reference keys are included in the appendices and there are suggestions for tailoring the procedures to the individual needs of the organization. The sexual harassment program is the underlying support of the policy and procedures. This program provides the critical components of awareness and education. Training seminars are provided for use with all levels of employees and include understanding sexual harassment, evaluating behaviors, considerations of cultural and gender issues, all of which are emphasized with role playing exercises provided by the author. In addition, the book offers suggestions for ongoing awareness and education.

Dr. Landrum is an ordained Episcopal minister, a retired bank president and a retired university professor, who taught in the field of business administration. During his tenure at the university, Dr. Landrum was falsely accused of sexually harassing three female students, on three separate occasions. Unfortunately, the university had no effective sexual harassment policy in place, nor any written procedures for receiving and investigating complaints. As a result, Dr. Landrum fought – and won – the ensuing civil suits on his own. During the course of these complaints, he did extensive and intensive research into the issues of sexual harassment and the handling of sexual harassment complaints in the workplace.

Nowhere could he find a comprehensive manual that provided direction on the three fronts necessary to eliminate the problems in the work place. A policy cannot be effective, without procedures to implement its requirements. A policy cannot be effective without means to educate the employees in the issue of sexual harassment and the importance of understanding and modifying behavior. To eliminate sexual harassment from the workplace, an ongoing program is necessary. Using his extensive research and his experience in how complaints should not be handled, Dr. Landrum devoted the past two years to developing a program that will, if implemented in its entirety, eliminate sexual harassment from the workplace and protect organizations from the potential of EEOC complaints and civil lawsuits.

A sexual harassment policy states the organization’s guidelines, regarding any type of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is illegal, as is discrimination, and the policy provisions are clearly outlined by federal regulations. However, it is in the best interest of any organization, firm or institution to carefully review their current policy and, more importantly, review exactly where their company stands at the moment. After careful review, a policy can be tailored to fit the cultural needs of the organization, as well as the legal and operational needs. A policy is the starting point and should state the organization’s sexual harassment guidelines, clearly identify sexual harassment, detail the reporting procedures and define the remedies available. A good sexual harassment policy will encompass more than a few paragraphs in the Employee Handbook.

Procedures are the nuts and bolts that support a policy. Procedures for a sexual harassment policy are the methods to be used in moving forward, when a sexual harassment complaint is received. The procedures detail how the reporting structure is defined, to whom complaints are made, how they are made, the difference between formal and informal complaint reporting. They explain what occurs when a complaint is received, how investigations are done, the interviewing process, the resolution process and the interfaces among and between all the parties involved, from the complainant to the witnesses and alleged offender, from the Advisor to the Administrator. A company with a policy and no procedures is like a sailboat with no canvas. The policy will sit there and be called a policy, but it’s not going to go anywhere or do much good without something to move it.

A sexual harassment program is comprised of the policy and the procedures, with two other critical components: awareness and education. People need to be aware of what sexual harassment is. Employees need to learn it may be different things to different people, based on gender, age or cultural differences. It is important that employees at all levels be aware harassment and/or inappropriate behavior are based on the perception of the individual who feels s/he is being sexually harassed.

While sexual harassment is a very real problem, many times it is the result of either differing perceptions or a lack of awareness on the part of one of the parties. This can be avoided through educating employees regarding what constitutes harassment and making them aware of how behavior modification is often the quickest and easiest way to ensure a comfortable, enjoyable, productive workplace.

Employee education covers all employees at all levels and is an ongoing process. The SHEP program provides for regularly scheduled sexual harassment workshops that involve all employees, with special sessions for managers and supervisors, Advisors and Investigators. In addition, a consistent program of awareness, such as newsletters, posters, periodic reminders of policy and similar issues are included in the day-to-day operations of the organization. All new hires are made aware of the sexual harassment policy. Special brochures or a dedicated section in the Employee Handbook are recommended.