Harassment Training For Supervisors

Harassment training for supervisors needs to close a specific trap, because it is the most common response a supervisor gives and it sounds entirely reasonable.

Someone raises something informally. The supervisor, wanting to help and not wanting to escalate a colleague’s problem without permission, says they will keep an eye on it.

Three things follow. The person believes it has been dealt with. Nothing is recorded, so if it continues there is no evidence it was ever raised. And the organisation is now on notice without knowing it, which is the position you least want to be in.

Supervisors need a clear rule. Anything raised gets recorded and passed on, even where the person asks for nothing to happen, and they should say that plainly at the time rather than agreeing to something they cannot deliver.

The Australian Human Rights Commission sets out the duty. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.

See Sentrient’s course for managers and incident reporting software.